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Deep Cover Part 2 By Zapper Synopsis: Special Agent Scott Irons is a mutant with the Special Mutant Affairs Command and is on a mission to help infiltrate a gang with criminal ties to a terrorist group in the Philippines. Things don't go according to plan and Scott quickly finds himself over his head. Bodies are swapped and identities are stolen in this tale of action and betrayal. Author note: The rules governing mutant classifications for this story might seem similar to other stories or universes, however I didn't follow anyone else's cannon. - Class A Mutant: One who's change is limited to a permanent change to the mutant's body: A mutant who has blue fur, an extra set of arms, or cat's eyes. - Class B Mutant: A mutant whose power limited to his body- Shapeshifting, strength, speed, super senses, regeneration... - Class C Mutant: A mutant who has gained a type of psi-power: Telepathy, empathy, far-sight, astral projection, precognition... - Class D Mutant: Energy manipulation - Shoot lasers from his eyes, or blasts his enemies with fire, teleportation, force shields, telekinesis, elemental control, energy absorption... *** Chapter Four *** Scott looked around at the group. Ironmonger, Dreadnaught and Vulcan had elected to change into digital camouflage uniforms with Vulcan adding ceramic plates and ballistic cloth body armor to his gear. Dreadnaught had strapped a.50 Cal to his back along with ammo while Ironmonger had picked an M134 minigun going for a lighter round but greater rate of fire. "No extra firepower?" Ironmonger asked looking at Vulcan. Vulcan had curled a lip at the idea of adding a gun and held up a hand which burst into flame. "I've got plenty of FIRE power right here!" Banshee had looked through the arsenal preferring to keep her dark outfit and long cape but adding a 9mm and tactical harness from the arsenal the Fists had collected. "You never know when a backup weapon will come in handy." "Only if you're willing to shoot someone." Cyber had disagreed choosing to stick with jeans, hoodie and trainers. I don't like fire arms. "What about you, Carnifex?" Scott shook his head. "I don't have anything against guns, but I doubt they'll do much against androids. If Cyber can't drop the defenses, Ironmonger and I will have to smash our way through... I doubt a gun or two will make much difference." "Oh, what about me and Dreadnaught, we're not exactly pushovers." Scott looked at Vulcan, "I don't know you. I'll trust you after we do an Op and I see you in action." Just then they heard the door to the warehouse open and Frank and two Fists entered. He looked them over and nodded. Scott also noticed that all three were carrying weapons and wearing camo. "Are we ready?" "I was just about to open the gate. Are you coming with us?" Banshee asked. "Yes." "I'm strong enough to carrying all nine but it will slow me down." "Don't worry about us. We have our own transportation." Frank sneered. "Let's go." Banshee lifted a hand and all light in the room vanished. Then Scott heard a low humming sound that quickly rose to a shriek like fingernails on a chalkboard only a hundred times louder. The shield over his ears thickened and dampened out the sound a moment later and Scott couldn't resist grinning. 'I love this shield!' A bright spot of light appeared in front of Scott and he saw Banshee standing next to it. The light expanded becoming a ring ten feet in diameter that hung a few inches above the ground. Banshee gestured for the team to move through and Scott didn't waste any time. As soon as he stepped through his ears popped at the elevation change and he blinked taking in the moonlight drenched mountain land scape. 'I wonder if my shield could have helped with the pressure change if I'd been thinking about it?' It was mostly rock and scrub and reminded him of the high desert of the American southwest. Knowing the rest of the raiders needed to pass through the gate Scott moved away and to one side. He scanned the area switching to IR and back, not seeing any signs that they'd been detected. He was also a little surprised that he didn't hear Banshee's wailing and when he looked back instead of a ring of light the gate consisted of a ring of darkness. "Weird." He muttered and returned to observing the area trying to get his bearings. "Looks like the perfect place for a prison." Angus said stopping next to Scott. He was carrying the minigun and had loaded the ammo belt into the weapon. Dreadnaught moved up to the other side of Scott and held up a tactical GPS. "The prison is that way, five point two miles." "Is anyone else's ears bothering them?" Cyber asked titling her head trying to clear her ears. Just then Scott heard the sound of a motorcycle starting. He looked back in time to see all three Fists now through the portal, each sitting on a dirt-bike. Frank had started his and was grinning. "This should be fun." Then Banshee stepped out of the portal and it collapsed behind her. Scott saw that all of them were here and knew it was time for him to show what he could do. 'I hope Rhonda got my message and they're ready for us.' "You're up Carnifex." Scott looked up at Angus and nodded. "Get a little closer everyone. It makes my job easier." Scott extended a shield over each member of the team as he did it he could feel the connection to his shield but it seemed like each person was in their own separate bubble. Then he willed all six bubbles into the air. "Shit! A little warning next time." Vulcan gasped. "Which way?" Dreadnaught pointed. "Over there." "Here we go, hold on." "Very funny." Ironmonger grumped sitting at the bottom of his bubble and folding his arms over his chest. Scott started accelerating. He was sure that he'd read in a file that Carnifex had been clocked at over five hundred miles per hour fleeing a crime scene. However she'd just been flying herself and Scott was worried about conserving power. He was just under half of what he'd had twenty-four hours ago. "Let me know when we reach one twenty." He said looking at Dreadnaught. "Will do." 'Two and a half minutes to the target should be good enough. No one can complain I didn't get us there quick.' Then he grinned, 'The higher I go the greater the chance of being detected by the prison's sensors, but the team, or at least Ironmonger, will know that. I need to find the right balance between an early warning and giving away my true loyalties.' Scott caused the group to climb to what he judged was about a hundred feet. Hoping that was high enough to be spotted but low enough so his teammates didn't think he did it on purpose. "One twenty and climbing." Scott slowed down and tried to estimate how much energy he was using compared to what he had in the tank. It was still hard to figure out how much power to hold in reserve and he could feel the fatigue building. 'I wonder if I could veil all of us?' then he dismissed the idea. It wasn't in line with getting caught. "There's the prison." Banshee called out surprising Scott. 'She must have good eyes. Or good eyes in the dark.' Scott caused the shield around his eyes to shift and his vision zoomed in on the object on the horizon. There was a twenty foot wall topped with razor wire and a single entry control point. Inside the wall Scott saw the building he knew was the operations center. It held the only people in the compound. Next to it was a parking lot with about a dozen vehicles. The target was just to the south, a single story building made of heavy of brick and steel and looking unremarkable. It was the kitchen, medical, and in-processing facility for the compound. It was fully automated. It was also the only way into the prison. They needed to go through it to get to the stairs that led down to the lower levels. The prison only had two levels and wasn't as big as might be expected. Except this was where the government kept the most dangerous mutant criminals. Sixty-two according to Cyber were on Lower Level One. The twenty on Lower Level Two were the worst and most dangerous of the lot. Scott knew it was his duty to maintain cover but if there was a way to stop those people didn't get out, he needed to do it. The third building was the maintenance facility. This was where the Androids did self-maintenance and where they machined the replacement parts for the rest of the prison. They needed to get Cyber to that facility so she could access the network. They were getting closer rapidly and rather than slow down Scott accelerated and then caused them to climb. "What are you doing?" Vulcan shouted. Scott ignored him and when he saw they'd reached the right angle he dove toward the building. As he did he shifted the people in his grip so that they were all in a line and he was in front. Then he started slowing down. By the time he reached the roof he figured he was doing about ten miles per hour. He still smashed through the roof pulling everyone else through the hole he'd made. The room looked like it was used for storage and he grinned letting everyone go. "Bloody hell, woman!" "What the fuck was that?! This was supposed to be covert." "If we're caught I'm going to burn you before I die." Scott looked at the three angry men practically shouting and tilted his head to one side. "Do you hear an alarm?" At this they paused and exchanged a puzzled look. "My flight is silent. Breaking the roof did cause some sound but Cyber is on it." Everyone turned to look at the mousy brunette who had her eyes closed. Her arms were held out and her fingers spread. Every now and then electricity jumped between her fingers. For several seconds no one said anything. "Cyber?" Banshee asked. After a moment Cyber's eyes opened and they were glowing with a spinning blue-white energy. "Yes?" Her voice held an odd electronic quality. "This network is like nothing I've seen. It's like it's... alive. Sentient even." "Did you turn off the alarms? Is it safe for us to proceed to the prison?" Cyber looked at Ironmonger. "The alarms are off. The Androids are all running self-diagnostics. This will take forty five minutes. The operations center is cut off and thinks everything is fine. You have forty four minutes and forty seven seconds left before the androids come back on line." "Shit, let's go." Ironmonger headed for the door when Banshee called out, "Wait." She started handing out what looked like Bluetooth ear devices. "These will let us communicate with each other. It's best if Cyber stays here and I remain with her to protect her." "That wasn't the plan." Vulcan growled. "Look at her." Banshee gestured to Cyber who hadn't moved. "She isn't mobile while she maintains that level of connection to this system. She'd just slow us down and get in the way. We can't leave her unprotected. I'll stay. Get the target and get back and I'll gate us out." "And if things go south you'll gate out with Cyber and leave us?" Dreadnaught asked. "Of course." Banshee agreed. "But you've got Carnifex, she can fly you out. Also as I recall, Vulcan can fly himself if he needs to." Scott wanted to add, 'Only if I'm not exhausted from fighting.' but kept his mouth shut. Getting caught was the objective. "She's right," Ironmonger noted, "and we're burning time. Follow me." Dreadnaught grunted and checked the.50 before following Ironmonger. "Ladies first." Vulcan gestured. "I'm not a lady and you just want to look at my ass. My talent is defensive. I've got the rear." "You really do, babe, you really do." Vulcan laughed falling into line behind Dreadnaught. 'Sexist asshole. I should crush his skull on principle.' Scott followed them down into what looked like a machine shop, except that all the work had been paused. Every machine was silent and what looked like normal humans, humans that had been working here, were all frozen. That's when Scott saw that each human was nearly a perfect specimen. 'Of course, if you're going to make a Droid, why make an ugly one?' The stillness was unnerving and all four hurried through the shop. A quick dash across open ground brought them to the main building. Scott was tempted to smash through the outer wall rather than go around to the entrance. Particularly since the operations center was on the other side. They'd have to expose themselves to possible visual detection to go through the main entrance. However, he was at about one third power and wanted to conserve it. 'Maybe I should have hooked up with Iron. I'd have more power right now.' "Hold this." Ironmonger handed his minigun to Vulcan and then shifted. He grew a few inches but his skin looked like steel. He turned to the wall and smashed a fist through it. 'I see I wasn't the only one who didn't want to walk around to the entrance.' "I guess we're not worried about noise." Vulcan noted. It took a few minutes but when the dust settled there was an opening big enough for all of them. "I'll take that." Iron accepted his weapon back but stayed in Ironmonger form. Once they were all in the building Cyber came up over their ear pieces. "Turn left at the hallway. Cut through the cafeteria, third door on the left. On the other side is the elevator and beyond that are the stairs." "Nice to have someone on over watch." Dread grinned, glancing at Scott and Vulcan before stepping through the hole. Scott followed along. The cafeteria was obviously for the humans working in the Ops center. They needed breaks and food while on shift. The androids running the kitchen probably feed them along with the prisoners. Everything was eerily quiet, the only sound came from their boots. Once through the cafeteria it was easy to spot the elevator. 'They must have set it up for easy access to the kitchen.' The stairs were right where the schematic had indicated. The bar that opened the door had a red sign that held a single word, "Emergency" written on it. Assuming Cyber still had the alarms down Ironmonger pushed it open. Scott let out a sigh when nothing happened. 'Why am I relieved? I want to get caught.' As the last person through the door Scott looked around before pulling it closed. 'What now? If I separate from the team they'll know I betrayed them. Shit, Rhonda, said to maintain my cover at any cost.' Feeling like he was walking into a trap Scott started his descent. *** The trip down was startlingly uneventful. At each turn of the stairs there was a camera. Scott blew a playful kiss as he went by one of the cameras hoping that Cyber appreciated it. Ironmonger paused at Lower Level One and waited until they'd all made it to the landing. "Stay close. The stairs and elevator are in the center of the cell block. According to the plans there are twenty cells to the left and twenty to the right." He reminded everyone. "We hit LL2 and we go left. We're looking for the last cell on the left." "We know, Iron." "Wait." Scott opened the door to LL1. He looked up and down the hall before returning to the stairs. "I just wanted to check the layout before we head down. There were four Droids patrolling. They're frozen right now." Ironmonger nodded and then headed down. They'd just made the turn at the first landing when an ear splitting siren went off and a bright light over head started strobing. "Shit!" Torch shouted. "Cyber, what's going on? I thought you had the alarms off?" Ironmonger asked. "I did. This was a command over ride from the Ops Center. I'm working to shut it down but it brought the Droids out of the maintenance cycle. Be ready when you get to LL2." "Fuck." Dreadnaught cursed. "Alright, time for speed." With that Ironmonger started running down the steps skipping half before jumping to the bottom of the landing. He put his shoulder to the door and it burst open. Scott couldn't see but assumed he went left. Then he heard the electronic motor on the minigun start and then the buzz-saw sound filled the air as Ironmonger went to work. Dreadnaught was through next and Scott saw him turn right then the intensely loud thunder of the.50 in an enclosed space caused Scott's shield over his ears to buzz and start to filter out the gun fire. Vulcan went through next turning left and Scott followed tapping Dreadnaught on the shoulder letting him know the last person was through and he now had rear guard. Scott could see the pair of Androids Dreadnaught had been firing on were smashed to bits by the heavy rounds. He turned to follow his team mates and saw another pair of Androids each cleanly cut in half by the minigun. 'I guess they didn't consider, in a mutant prison, having to defend from machine guns.' Ironmonger had reached the cell door and shouted into his mic. "Cyber, open it." The door buzzed and Vulcan pulled it open ducking inside. Scott stopped next to the cell and turned around to face the hallway. "I got him. But he's in bad shape." Scott looked over his shoulder to see Vulcan half carrying half dragging a very tall thin guy. He had a full head of grey hair and a bedraggled beard. "Power dampener. Get it off me and I can help." The voice wasn't more than a whisper. That's when Scott saw the collar around his emaciated neck. It had a set of lights in front that slowly flashed red. "I don't have a key. I could try to burn it off you but that would likely kill you." "Cyber, can you unlock 47EGD's dampener?" Ironmonger asked. "No. You have to touch it with a device that has an encrypted key. That's what unlocks the collars. If I was there I could do it. I just can't unlock it remotely." Ironmonger looked at the old man, "I could crush it, but they have explosives. It would just set them off and that would kill you." Scott thought for a moment, he could surround the collar and the prisoner in separate shields. One to protect the prisoner the other to pull the collar apart and contain the blast. 'Not my job to get it off him.' He thought. 'It's Carnifex's job to get him out.' "Droids are coming down the elevator and stairs. These are all armed and carrying power dampeners." Cyber warned. "Can you override the elevator and stop it on LL1? Buy us some time?" Scott asked. "Yes, but they'll just use the stairs." "Not if you open all the cells. Even without powers, eighty prisoners are enough to cause a distraction." Dreadnaught added jumping into the conversation. Before Scott knew it there were multiple clicking sounds and nineteen cell doors started to open. Just then the first droid burst through the stairwell door. Dreadnaught blew the droid apart with heavy rounds but there were screams as the prisoners on the other side of the door were in the line of fire. "I've got this!" Vulcan shouted and sprinted to the stairs before the next droid came through. He stuck a hand through the door and Scott heard a whooshing sound and felt a slight back blast of heat. "Fuck. He's using that set of stairs like a chimney and feeding a fire storm into it." Ironmonger grabbed the old guy and tossed him over one shoulder. He dropped the minigun and grew a foot taller. His clothes burst apart except the boxers he'd been wearing under them. "Play times over. Let's get out of here. Carnifex. The elevator." Scott jogged to the elevator doors feeling his shield shift to protect him from the heat Vulcan was dumping into the stairs. He reached out with his mind and extended two tendrils of shield toward the doors pulling them apart bending them slightly to keep them open. Then he let the tendrils go and floated into the shaft and looked up. "Here we go. Get close." Ironmonger carrying the prisoner got behind Scott with Dreadnaught and Vulcan who'd just left the stairs following right behind. He extended a shield over each of them and then floated up bringing them behind. The elevator-car was in the way so he tore a hole in the floor and another in the roof. Then he brought them through the holes one at a time. Reaching the ground floor Scott paused floating in the shaft and thinking. "Why did you stop? Open the doors and let's get out." "Cyber, are there Droids on the other side?" "Yes and these are now armed with serious weapons." "Can you gate us back to you?" "No," Banshee responded. "There is something interfering with my power. I think when the alarm went off the anti-teleport field re-activated. We need to get away from the prison before I can open a gate. "Hurry, the prison is fighting me for control. They have several very advanced AIs. I just lost control of cameras in the prison. I'm losing this fight. Once they get control, all of the defenses will come back online. We have to get out, now." "If your friend can get this thing off of me, I can get us out." The old man stated. 'I gotta keep up my cover. Damn it.' "Alright, no more playing nice." Scott said, and abruptly accelerated up. As he did he formed a large cone shaped shield above him. The shield smashed into the roof and Scott winced at the effort then he burst into the clear sky. It was dark but every flood light was on as well as search lights. The sirens were still going off and it took Scott a moment to spot the building with his allies. He pulled the team up single file and then flew toward the maintenance building. Abruptly heavy machine gun fire exploded into the night. Automated gun systems started slashing rounds into Scott's shields. He felt his power begin to drop as he fought to keep everyone together and flying to the building. By the time he dropped through the hole he'd made in the roof he was down to his last ten percent. Landing in the storage area he gasped and fell to a knee. "Fuck. What were they shooting at us?" "Two rail guns, four 50s, and four miniguns. Lucky for you they were still powering up the laser. Cyber's voice still sounded mechanical. To Scott it looked like she hadn't moved. Showing energy for the first time the prisoner stumbled over to Cyber. "Can you get this off me?" She looked at him and then reached out and touched it with a finger. The flashing red light turned green and with a click it fell away. "Ahhhhhh..." The prisoner stepped back and stood up a little straighter. "My power returns, but slowly." He looked around. "I need a boost." He made a "come here" gestured toward Vulcan and a white ghostly energy arced from Vulcan's chest into the prisoner's weathered hand. "Ah, yes. Thank you." Abruptly, Vulcan's now desiccated husk collapsed breaking apart into several pieces. "Just the boost I needed." His withered pale skin had become darker and regained the elasticity of youth the prisoner's grey hair had become dark and when he stretched there was a popping sound from his back. Then he stood up straight. "Much better." With that he walked to the hole Carnifex had created, "Mhmm, the kid had a fire gift. Let's see what I can do with his power." Suddenly his body shifted and changed until he was a perfect copy of Vulcan. Then he jumped. Flames exploded from his body carrying him up and into the sky. Scott lifted a hand creating a shield to hold the fire and heat away from the team. "What the fuck!" "Who was that?" "Soulsnatcher. Level 9 D-class, energizer. Level 7 B-class shapeshifter. Level 5 C-Class psionic. Age unknown." The sound of a tornado rocked the building shaking everything and causing Iron, Dread, and Banshee to tumble to the floor. Scott lifted himself an inch off the ground and Cyber seemed anchored to the building somehow. Scott brought up a bubble shield around everyone. "I don't have enough energy to fly us out." Unexpectedly, Cyber dropped her hands and her eyes returned to normal. She looked stunned. "H-He created a fire storm and then dropped it on the command center. At the same time he ate all the souls of the humans in the building." Things started to get quiet. "What's he doing now?" Banshee asked. "I don't know. When the network went down I lost my connection." "CRACK!" Scott glanced over to where the collar had fallen only to find a burned spot on the floor and the smell of explosives. "Aaahhh... fuck that hurts." Scott glanced over and saw Dreadnaught clutching his leg, a small piece shrapnel sticking out. "What happened?" Ironmonger asked taking a knee next to Dread. "The collars. When they lose signal they are set to detonate. With the network going down the signal was shut off." "That means all the prisoners are dead?" Scott asked. Horrified and glad that no one else would be getting out. There was a pinging sound and Dreadnaught stood up, the piece of metal that had been in his leg now on the floor. "Are you okay?" He grinned at Scott. "I have a high level regeneration. Already good." "And so are we! The anti-teleport field is down." The room went dark and Scott heard Banshee start to wail. Then a point of light expanded as a gate opened. The team didn't waste any time jumping through. Scott blinked and looked around. They weren't back in the warehouse. He couldn't tell where they were except that it was raining and all he could see was trees. He turned around in time to see Banshee step through and freeze. A white energy arced from her body back into the gate. The Scott spotted Soulsnatcher still looking just like Vulcan standing on the other side of the gate. "Leaving already? You all have such delicious souls and powers." Just then Banshee's shriveled corpse fell forward and the gate winked out. The silence was defining. "Oh, fuck. What the hell have we done?" Ironmonger's words broke the silence and Scott looked around at the stunned faces. "I don't know." *** Rhonda looked down the scope sighting in the target. The range was just over a mile. She couldn't believe how well this was turning out. The way the Agency had set things up she'd been able to contact Scott through the encrypted messaging system. Indicating that the director wanted him to fully assume the identity of Cindy Snow, and that he was authorized to commit any crime needed to maintain that identity, had given her tremendous pleasure. The idea of the tall, strong, playboy now in the body of a sex starved nymph made Rhonda hard. She believed in being thorough and an hour with one of the agency's top female IT technicians had been all it took. Gloria had been an adequate fuck, although she'd been delirious with pleasure and would now do anything Eros/Rhonda requested, legal or illegal. The idea of assisting with a "black" Op had also appealed to her sense of adventure. Gloria had been too happy to delete all of the messages and electronic traces of communication between Scott and the Agency. Rhonda had also had Gloria change the phone numbers used to remotely check in and the codes preventing Scott from accessing any Agency system. Taser was now staking out a house on Rhonda's orders not knowing that the family that lived there, although mutants, had nothing to do with the Fists or Scott. It was just a red herring. Rhonda left Taser there explaining that she needed to track down another lead and would get back as soon as possible. Rhonda grinned as her target came into view. With a deadly focus she exhaled slowly applying pressure to the trigger. There was almost no sound as the suppressed sniper rifle kicked into her masculine shoulder. Then the man's head exploded like a ripe melon hit by a sledge hammer. Rhonda didn't wait to see the response her shot would cause. The office window had only been opened enough for her to shoot through it. She'd shoved a pair of desks together creating a firing position she could lay on while she waited for her target several feet back from the window. Now she closed the window and returned the desks to their normal position. Next she disassembled the rifle each piece would go in a different location starting with the barrel. She hid that in the ceiling tiles. As she made her egress she'd get rid of the rest of the rifle. She looked over at the husband and wife accountants. They hadn't stood a chance. She'd put the woman to sleep with a focused pulse of her empathic power and hit the man in the jaw knocking him out. After that she'd broken both of their necks. The dead can't reveal secrets during psionic interrogation. Rhonda walked slowly away from the building. There were plenty of people in the street and in the distance she could hear the sound of sirens. The car she'd stolen earlier was where she left it and dropping off the last of the weapon in a trash can at the edge of the parking garage she got into the car. The Agency had two Energizers capable of teleporting. Rhonda didn't trust either, they were both male, she needed her movements to be untraceable. However, before being assigned to the Pacific Northwest Rhonda had worked in L.A. There were a few mutant teleporters who worked for the stars. One owed her a favor. The woman was slightly over weight and in her mid-forties and had been happy to teleport up to Rhonda's apartment, only to be met by Eros. The sex had been quick and unsatisfying for Rhonda. It had been pure bliss for Carla. Now Carla waited, exhausted and asleep in a hotel a few miles away. Rhonda grinned. One quick hop back to her former apartment and then Rhonda wanted to see if it was possible to fuck someone to death. 'Can I push so much pleasure into her that she has a heart attack? If I can do it without fucking her then I won't have to worry about getting rid of the body. If not... There is that industrial incinerator.' *** "Calm down, we're on your side." The megaphone blasted Frank's words into the air as the burning man flew toward them. Frank looked over at Al, "Are you sure that thing is working?" Al nodded nervously. "Yeah, my psi-shield naturally protects me from Soulsnatcher's powers this device is supposed to amplify my power. It should cover all of us." "That's fine, but what about all that fire?" Tony wondered. His mutant ability allowed him to blink to any location within about a hundred meters; useful in a lot of situations but in the open desert. Looking down at the flaming ruin of what was once a high tech prison. There really wasn't anywhere for him to go. Abruptly, the human descended toward them hitting the ground a few hundred feet away. Flames and a shockwave of superheated air rolled toward them. All three Fists of Anarchy turned away trying to protect exposed skin. When they looked back the flaming mutant had been replaced by a tall thin woman with light brown hair. She was totally naked and moved through the molten rock as if it didn't bother her. She lifted a hand and made a come here gesture and then paused when nothing happened. She frowned and gestured again brow contorted with concentration. "Shit." Al panted, "He-she's really strong." "Who are you?" Al let out a sigh of relief as Soulsnatcher stopped trying to pull their souls from their bodies. "My name is Frank Chen. My father's organization is responsible for freeing you." "Is your father Solomon Chen?" Frank stood up straighter and nodded. "He is." "Then lead the way. I'm excited to meet my old friend." *** "Fuck, I'm so fucking hungry." Scott gasped, and fell to his knees crashing with exhaustion. He felt weak and he started shaking even though a part of him knew it wasn't his body that was weak, he was starved for energy. 'I'm down to what? Five or six percent? What happens if I don't feed soon?' "Carnifex, are you okay?" Cyber asked, taking a tentative step toward Scott. He looked up and saw Cyber with a concerned look on her cute if exhausted face. Then he felt a connection... a tugging sensation. He looked over at Ironmonger and felt a heat blossom in his groin. At the same time a deeper more primal hunger expanded from his tummy. Slowly, Scott stood up, his mouth started watering and he took an unsteady step toward Iron. Then his nostrils flared as the wind shifted and Iron's strong masculine scent drifted toward him. Scott tried to think but everything in his world seemed to narrow down to just one thing. He took another step toward Ironmonger. "Cindy?" Ironmonger's voice seemed like it was traveling down a long tunnel. "C-Cindy are you okay?" Scott without thinking started to use what remained of his power to strip off his clothes. He felt his power stirring and also knew he was weaker than he should have allowed himself to become. Ironmonger got an uneasy smile and held up one metallic hand that slowly shifted back to skin. "Slow down, Cindy." "What's going on?" Cyber asked, sounding shocked. "Clothes. Off." "Ha! Woman, after all of that and you're thinking about sex? I heard you were crazy but really?" There was a bit of awe in Dreadnaught's voice. Ironmonger started backing up, now fully human and he held out both hands as if to slow Scott down. "Hey, girl take it easy. I gottcha covered. Let's go someplace private." Scott reached out with his power ripping the boxers off Ironmonger and felt a bit of drool leak from the corner of his mouth. "Impressive." The footlong appendage nestled between Ironmonger's thighs was starting to stand at attention but Scott couldn't wait. He lifted himself and Iron into the air bringing them both together twenty feet above the ground. Scott's lips found Iron's tool and with the right amount of kissing, stroking, and sucking it was soon fully engorged. "Cindy, damn it. You know I like to fuck, just let me go." Scott had fully wrapped Ironmonger in a shield immobilizing him and Scott didn't waste any time. Floating above Iron Scott spread his legs and impaled his feminine sex upon Iron's cock. "Ahhhhh..." Sensation blasted through Scott. The feeling of being stretched and filled, the intimate touch of sensitive skin on skin, and most importantly the geyser of power that flooded and filled him. Every sense came alive and Scott couldn't think. His body on auto- pilot as it bucked and squeezed working to milk the masculine essence from Ironmonger while feasting on the sexual energy from their union. Scott wasn't sure how many times he came or how long they fucked. His first coherent thought was when he climbed off the now unconscious Ironmonger. He felt for the first time the uniquely feminine popping sensation as Iron's cock slide out of his pussy and for a moment missed the sensation of being filled. Then he realized they were on the forest floor. Iron was passed out flat on his back and as Scott stood up he felt something leaking down his thigh. "W-What happened?" He wondered and looked around. They were alone. Scott stretched and realized he felt great! Better than great. His body now hummed with energy. He closed his eyes trying to figure out if he was fully re-charged and realized he was at a bout ninety percent of what he'd felt right after CC had swapped him into Carnifex. "Did you kill him?" Scott glanced over his shoulder and saw Dreadnaught standing next to Cyber. He was still carrying his.50 but it wasn't pointed at Scott. They both looked stunned while Cyber also looked appalled. "No. He's just tired. I-I don't normally lose control like that. I let myself get too weak and had to re-charge." "You're an energizer who feeds on sexual energy?" Cyber asked, sounding both shaken and fascinated. "Yeah. Keep that to yourselves. I'd rather be known as a slut than a slave to the needs of my powers." "We all have secrets." Dreadnaught said, then gestured toward Ironmonger. "When will he wake up?" Scott shrugged, "In a bit. He's just tired. Where are we?" Dreadnaught reached into a cargo pocket and brought out a GPS. "We're on the Olympic Peninsula, about sixty miles west of Seattle in the National Forest. I think this is a place Banshee set up as a retreat." "Why?" "Because if you walk for five minutes in that direction there is a cabin. We discovered it while you and Iron were distracted. There's a well, a wood stove, and plenty of dried and canned goods." Cyber answered. "The only thing it's missing is electricity and the internet." She sounded slightly offended at the lack of internet access. *** "Who is Soulsnatcher? Why don't I know anything about him?" "You're from Australia, and no offense... but you're what? Twenty- five?" The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly and the woodburning stove was heating up. It was early afternoon but it was so overcast it felt like night had fallen. Then it started to drizzle and the cold damp air was easily kept at bay by the cozy cabin. Cyber had taken charge of the cabin once they'd all arrived and had water in a pot heating and sorted through the various dried and canned goods. Ironmonger was still out so Scott had used his ability and floated him along behind them as they trekked to the cabin. Now he was snoring soundly while lying on the cabin's only bed. Scott tried to ignore him and focused on what Dreadnaught had just said. "I'm twenty-eight. Can you just tell me who or what it is that we've unleashed?" Dreadnaught sighed and for the first time since Scott had met him looked old. The Detroit mutant ran a hand over his face. "You've got to understand, I'm older than I look. I'm a generation one mutant. I was exposed to the Accelerator Virus in 1951 shortly after it escaped the government labs. I believe ninety percent of humanity carries at least the dormant virus today." "I know. I know." Scott interrupted. "You don't need to lecture us, grandpa. I learned all this in school. In the 50s and 60s the virus spread to most of humanity. There is no vaccine. For second generation and beyond it only activates during puberty. You've got a 50-50 chance of it activating. The mutation can be as small as changing eye color or as dramatic as dying during the change." "They don't teach everything in school. The 1950s and 60s were a chaotic time. Villains rose and heroes fought them. Some of us choose to try to use our abilities to make money to support families." "You make being a mercenary sound noble." Scott scoffed. "Why do you do it, if not for the money?" "Oh, I do it for the money. I just don't delude myself into thinking that I'm helping anyone but me." Then he paused and took a deep breath, "How does this relate to Soulsnatcher?" "He or she, no one is really sure, although based on what we saw at the prison he must have started out as a man. Anyway, he was an original generation mutant. This was before classes and levels so I can't confirm what Cyber said earlier. All I can tell you is that he appeared in Texas and had nearly a third of the state in a panic. He can snatch the souls from his victims and then assume their form and powers. He can boost their powers when he assumes their form well beyond what they could do because of his energizer abilities. The more souls he eats the stronger he gets." "Why in the world would anyone want to release him?" Cyber wondered. She had just added bouillon cubes to the boiling water creating stock. She had dehydrated vegetables sitting to one side along dried pasta. The sizzle of canned meat hitting a pan was a little distracting and Scott's tummy rumbled. "That's a good question. What do the Fists gain?" "Anarchy?" At this all three mutants looked over at Ironmonger who'd just sat up. "It's in their name. The Fists of Anarchy. They want to cause chaos and bring down governments. If you check out their website they believe in survival of the fittest and that governments only get in the way of nature and natural selection. Unleashing something like Soulsnatcher on the United States will undoubtedly cause Chaos." There was silence as the four mercenaries thought about what they'd just done. Scott wanted to fly into Seattle and make contact with the Agency and let them know what happened. There were problems with that idea. The first was it would blow his cover and he'd been ordered to maintain deep cover. The second was that the government probably already knew about the prison break and who was on the loose. Soulsnatcher hadn't been subtle when he'd destroyed the prison. Scott could only guess what he'd been up to in the hours since they'd escaped. "What do we do?" For a moment Scott hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to eat, sleep, and then find civilization. I got paid half up front so I need to check my account. If those fuckers didn't pay the rest I'll have to visit them in Seattle." Dreadnaught noted. "Get me an internet connection and I can tell you if you got paid, each of you." Cyber offered. "No need for me." Scott said trying to sound confident. "I got it all up front. Still, I'd like to pay the Fists a visit. What we just freed will kill a bunch of people not to mention two of our teammates. It could have been any of us. I think a little warning would have been nice." Abruptly Scott felt furious, "If you think about it, we were used. I bet Solomon Chen thought we would be Soulsnatcher's first victims. Makes sense, half up front means he only pays half the cost of freeing him. I think I'd like to express my displeasure. "Oh, like the warning you could have given me before you all but raped me?" Scott felt a flash of guilt and looked over at Iron who was grinning at him. "Sorry Iron. I-I haven't lost control like that since... shit I can't remember." "Don't worry about it. I was willing, just... I've never felt anything like that." Cyber dumped the vegetables into the broth letting them boil before adding the pasta and reducing the heat. "Soup should be ready in a few minutes." She was doing her best to focus on the pot and nothing else. "What are we going to do about Vulcan and Banshee?" Ironmonger asked. "What happened to them doesn't sit well with me. With a little warning we might have protected ourselves. I agree with Carnifex, the Fists probably wanted us to die while rescuing Soulsnatcher." "Then we'll have to express our displeasure." Dreadnaught growled. *** "Holy shit, look at that!" Taser's shout brought Rhonda into the room. They had rented a room at a local hotel across from the apartment building they were uselessly staking out. It was Rhonda's turn to keep watch so Kevin had been relaxing, watching TV while eating a pizza. The game show had been interrupted to show a flaming mutant flying over a shopping mall in Albuquerque. Beneath him people were shouting and screaming and then falling over as what looked like electricity arced up from them to the mutant. The desiccated corpses that remained behind him sent the survivors into a panic. A mother with tears streaming down her face cradled the husk of her five year old daughter. Somehow she had survived the mutant's passing while her daughter had been caught in his power. A cop car stopped on the street and two cops got out pulling rifles. The bullets smashed into the flying mutant without any affect. Like insect bites. When He got closer he lifted a hand and both cops fell over dead. "What the fuck is that?" Rhonda gasped. "Who is a better question." Just then both of their cell phones buzzed. Rhonda looked up from reading her message. "Report back to the Farm at once. National emergency?" Taser nodded. "Rhonda is on her own until this crisis is over." "I'll get the van if you want to sanitize the room." "Sounds like a plan." Rhonda hurried out and tried to make sense of what she just saw, "Oh, fuck, could that guy be the prisoner that Scott and the Merc's were planning to release?" Rhonda had ignored the message making sure to delete it and remove all traces. Now she wondered if that hadn't been a mistake. The drive up to the farm took longer than Rhonda remembered. She wanted to understand what had happened and felt trapped. If it got out that an Agent had been on the team that had unleashed the horror currently rolling through New Mexico then the whole Agency would get pulled into the public square. The Agency lived in the dark, doing things to protect civilians that the government didn't want anyone to know about. If an Agency operation was responsible for this disaster then every part of that Op would get scrutinized. Rhonda felt her blood run cold. 'I can't allow that kind of an investigation. They'll find out what I did.' *** The night was clear and Scott enjoyed the view as he flew a few hundred feet above the tree tops. In a line behind him he had Ironmonger, Dreadnaught, and Cyber the effort hardly seemed to touch his reservoir of energy. He didn't want to think about it but after they had all agreed that they needed to pay the Fists a visit Scott knew he need to be as full of power as possible. Getting Dreadnaught to agree to go for a walk had been simple enough. The sex had been amazing. Leroy was eighty eight but his body looked like it was twenty-five. His cock was almost as big as Angus's man meat and his regeneration allowed him to be back at full mast within minutes. Scott had ridden one amazing wave of pleasure after another until energy was spilling out of his eyes, ears, and mouth. At that point an exhausted Leroy had suggested they take a break. He'd left Scott in the clearing blissed out on power and carnal satisfaction. Scott wasn't sure how long it had taken him to make it back to the cabin but when he did it was late afternoon and the rain had stopped. The soup they'd had earlier had been replaced by a hash Cyber claimed would at least fill them up even if it wasn't as nutritional as she would've liked. She also blushed every time she met Scott's eye. Flying sixty miles didn't feel like too much of a strain with all the power he'd absorbed yet Scott was conscious of conserving his energy. What he'd learned was that his energy shield ability was very adaptive but in battle he went through power quickly. The tree line broke and Scott saw the water of the Puget Sound. "Here we go." He whispered and used his shield to create a conduit to carry his words to each of his friends. Then he shifted the shield around each of them so that light bent around them creating a veil. "We'll be at the docks in a few minutes. Does anyone have an idea for getting from the docks to a safe house or a place where we can watch the Fists?" "Yeah, I've got a spot not far from their headquarters." Ironmonger replied. "Once I'm online I can figure out what they're up too." Cyber added. Scott dropped lower until they were skimming along a few feet above the water. There wasn't much maritime traffic but the harbor up ahead was filled with light. Scott angled around the few boats in the harbor and brought them up onto the pier. As soon as they all touched down he dropped the veil and shields around them. "Holy shit!" Scott glanced to his left. A sailboat had been tied to the pier and a teenage boy was standing there mouth wide open. "What? Never seen a real live girl?" The kid's mouth fell open and Scott turned on his heel marching down the pier. He could hear Cyber giggle and thought Iron was probably shaking his head. As they approached the end of the pier Angus took the lead. "I know where we are. I'll get us an Uber." He pulled out a smartphone and powered it up. "I've got a safe house here. There's plenty of room for everyone. We can get cleaned up and check bank accounts. Then decide what to do about those rat-Basterds." "The Fists?" Dread asked, looking for clarification. "Who else?" Scott followed along trying not to think about what he'd done. He needed to make contact but couldn't as long as Cyber was around. She would have no trouble tracing a call back to the secret servers at the Farm. There had to be something he could do he just needed to make contact. 'I could just slip away. Mission is over. I've been paid. Then I can contact the Agency and we can get this all sorted out.' As soon as he considered it Scott discarded the idea. 'They said deep cover. That means stay in character until they can swap someone else in.' The Toyota Camry arrived within a few minutes and the skinny white kid with blonde dreads and the smallest glasses Scott had ever seen pulled to a stop. "Dude, are you looking for a lift?" Angus stepped forward and pulled open the passenger's door and climbed into the front. Scott frowned when he realized either he or Cyber would have to sit in the back middle. Before he could say anything Cyber pulled open one of the back doors and climbed into the middle. "I'm the smallest." The drive took twenty minutes even though Scott thought they hadn't gone more than two miles. 'I could have run faster. And with my talents I easily could have flown us over.' *** Chapter Five *** 'I never imagined that I'd be attending my own funeral.' Rhonda thought looking down at the closed casket. The funeral home was mostly empty with only a few of Rhonda's friends from the Agency attending. Director Cox had acted quickly once news of the events at the prison was public. Of course the public had been told that a government lab had experienced a technical disaster that resulted in a fire and the deaths of most of the lab staff. They hadn't been told it was a prison for the most dangerous mutants or that almost every mutant at the facility along with the human staff had died. There were a couple of mutants unaccounted for but that was the exception. The fire had made it hard to sort out the corpses. Director Cox had moved quickly to secure Rhonda's former body and they were now burying it using a story that Rhonda had been undercover and died in the line of duty. Rhonda shook her head wondering what Cindy Snow must have thought when the useless power dampening collar they'd put on her, (because she had no mutant power) had detonated. The results had required a closed casket at the funeral. 'Another loose end tied up. Special Agent Rhonda Torres is officially dead. Another hero who died in the line of duty.' "Hey, Scott, how are you holding up?" Rhonda glanced over at Kevin. He was carrying two Styrofoam cups that smelled suspiciously like coffee and extended one to Rhonda. "I'm fine, although it's a little strange." "I know. We're looking down at our team leader and pretending that she's dead, but in reality she's alive and undercover. I wonder how she'll take the news. I bet she'll be pissed." "You might be surprised. I bet her new body is growing on her. She's much sexier and now has powers beyond her wildest dreams." Then Rhonda added silently, 'Fool! I hated that body. Like an ugly duckling I've now become a swan. Well, more like a Lion, but still...' "Does that mean you're going to try to get her into bed?" "I'm supposed to be her boyfriend, remember? It's all part of the mission." "Ha! Good luck. I don't think she likes you much. Oh, did you hear the other news?" "Besides that there is a lunatic mutant in New Mexico still on the loose?" "Yeah, besides that... I just talked to Doc White and CC is dead. Looks like Rhonda is stuck, even if her body is now dead." "What!?" "Sshhh... That news is still being kept quiet." Taser looked around to make sure the Agency members in the room along with Rhonda's civilian friends hadn't overheard her exclamation. "Looks like a professional hit. A sniper from more than a mile away. CC never had a chance to "hear" it and the Agency team wasn't ready for that kind of attack. "Are there any leads? Director Cox must be pissed. CC's ability was truly unique." "I'm not sure about the Director but Doctor White was pretty broken up. She and CC had been working closely together for a while." Kevin shook his head lost in thought. After a moment he added, "As for leads, who knows? I mean there is a team tasked with figuring it out but I'm not on that team. Don't worry, the Agency has a way of getting to the truth." "Heard anything from Firefly?" Rhonda asked. Kevin shook his head. "Nope. It's odd. You said she'd been checking in?" At Rhonda's nod he continued, "More than twenty-four hours now and nothing." Rhonda turned around and headed for the door, "Come on. We've got a job to do." "Oh, what did they tell you?" "We're using a teleporter to get down to New Mexico. We'll meet up with a Quick Response Team the Agency is putting together. The next time that mutant, Soulsnatcher, shows up we'll try to take him down." "Fuck. I've got a bad feeling about this one." *** Scott adjusted the shield in front of his eyes and telescoped in on the target. The Asian grocery store did a steady business but he was more interested in anyone heading up to one of the three apartments above the store. According to Ironmonger all three were occupied by Fist members. It had been three days and so far Scott hadn't seen Frank, his father, or anyone he recognized. He could also tell the other mercenaries were getting restless. He brushed his dark hair away from his face and paused to give his now darker skin an amazed look. 'At least no one is going to recognize me now.' He glanced down at the backpack that held two changes of clothes, food, water and Gatorade. Once they'd gotten to the safe house, a five bedroom home sandwiched between two other buildings that looked identical, they'd started to relax. Cyber's eyes had started glowing as soon as she sat down on the sofa and it hadn't taken her long to confirm they'd not been paid the second installment. "That mother-fucker!" Dreadnaught raged. "No one stiffs me!" Scott was a little amused that he was more upset about not getting the money than he was about going in blind to a situation and almost dying. Not to mention releasing a powerful and most likely insane mutant. "Can you find them?" "Searching." When Cyber didn't say anything else Dread looked at Angus, "You said you knew where their headquarters is?" "No, I know where we can find them. I think they were operating out of the warehouse we visited. That'll be the first place to look." "Bah. They'll either have abandoned it or it was never theirs in the first place." Scott turned around and headed for the door. "Where are you going?" "I'm checking out the warehouse. Then I'm going to hit my safe-house and get a change of clothes and new kit. I'll be back in a couple of hours. I got paid up front, but I'm pissed about the set up. So if you plan to hit the Fists, to let them know they have to pay their debts and not to treat mercs like bait... I'm in. Otherwise, have a nice life." "Wait Carnifex, we need to talk..." Scott shut the door behind him and veiled. Then he used his shield to lift himself into the air. The flight to the hotel where he'd rented a room didn't take long. He landed and once sure no one was looking dropped the veil and used his key card to enter the room. After a quick search he determined that everything was there. 'The Agency should have come here and left me a note.' He picked up the hotel phone and dialed the number he used to leave messages for Rhonda and Kevin. "The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Thank you." The line went dead. "What the fuck?" He tried the backup number and found it had also been disconnected. Next he tried the number he used when he wasn't on a mission, his own personal voice mail at the Agency. When it asked for his PIN the computer generated voice informed him that it was incorrect. "Rhonda must have changed it. Why?" Feeling uneasy Scott dialed the normal business number for the Agency. "You have reached the Mutant Affairs Agency, if you know the extension of the person or office you would like to reach you can dial it at any time. For public affairs press - one. For legal matters press - two. To register a new mutant - press three. To report an unregistered mutant - press four." Scott stopped listening and dialed the extension for Doctor White. "The extension you have dialed is no longer in use. You may dial another extension if you wish or press one to return to the main menu." "What the hell?" Scott tried every number he could remember only to discover they'd all been changed. He sat there for several seconds trying to think. "The only reason to change all of those numbers would be that they terminated the operation. Why would they do that when I'm still undercover?" Scott sat down on the bed trying to think about what he should do. "Pack up the van and find a storage facility to park it. That way it'll be out of sight and when all of this is done I can recover it." Then his eye fell on Cindy's purse. He got up and dumped the contents on the bed. The ID's still intrigued him and he picked one up. "Jennifer Yung, who are you and why do I have your ID?" Scott focused on the memories CC had copied into his head trying to uncover an answer. The psionic-technique opened memories to him and he tried to figure out which one was pertinent. Then it came to him in a flash. *** Moonlight streamed through the window as Cindy pushed the sexy Asian minx onto the bed. She wore a white thong which seemed to almost glow in the silvery light. Cindy's body was on fire with need but it was different from what she felt when seducing a guy. The ache between her thighs was still there but the hunger, driven by her mutation, was different. Cindy slowly spread the girl's legs running her hands over Jen's soft smooth skin. Starting just inside her left knee Cindy slowly kissed her way up Jen's leg until she arrived at her prize. Cindy inhaled deeply breathing in the musky odor of Jen's sex before licking the small bit of silky fabric covering Jen's moist pussy. Cindy loved both the smell and taste of the half-Chinese sex kitten. "I-I've never done this before. Not with... a girl." The words were softly spoken and the American accent turned Cindy on even more. "SSsshhhh... you are the second girl I've seduced." "Are you sure? You know I'm a mutant. That doesn't scare you?" Cindy used her power to pull the thong from Jennifer's thighs and grinned up at the astonished look. "Why should I be scared?" Then she started softly kissing the button of flesh at the top of Jen's slit. Cindy used her tongue to make small circles around Jen's engorged clit causing her lover to arch her back and grab handfuls of the bedsheet. Then using her fingers Cindy spread Jennifer's inner lips and started dividing her time between her clit and Jen's newly exposed inner essence. "Aahhhhh... Oh-god-oh-god-OOhhhhh." Moisture started leaking from Jen's cunt and unable to stop herself she began to buck pressing her hips into Cindy's face. Knowing Jen was close Cindy drove two fingers into her love tunnel curling them up to stroke the bundle of nerves above and just behind Jen's love button. "Ohhhh-fuck... t-that feels amazing." Tasting Jen's juices was like the sweetest ambrosia and Cindy continued to play Jen's pussy like a maestro. Slipping her tongue in and out of Jen's inner folds energy started poring into Cindy. But it was different from what she got from a guy. Instead of the torrent of power this energy had a taste and shape. It followed gently from Jennifer into Cindy and somehow it even felt like Jennifer. Cindy couldn't get enough and continued stroking and licking as the power built inside of her. It flowed along her nerves and hummed just below her skin causing her whole body to tingle with carnal vigor. "AAaaahhhh..." Jennifer's finale scream of pleasure was accompanied by a gush of fluid and Cindy leaned back, knowing what was coming and moaned as her pussy clenched up in an orgasm that suddenly matched Jennifer's. She rolled away feeling juices leak from her spasming pussy her whole body was on fire with pleasure. Slowly she felt herself come down from the state of carnal bliss and lifted a tiny now softly tanned hand up. It was much smaller than her normal hand. Cindy reached up and examined a lock of midnight hair. "C-Cindy?" Cindy rolled onto her side enjoying the way her large soft breasts moved to look at her twin. "Mhmm?" "Why do you look just like me?" "I told you I'm a mutant. My powers are tied to sex. From men it's like pure energy. From women it's like a flavor." Cindy slowly moved over and ran a tiny hand over Jennifer's cheek. Then she kissed her soft lips. "I can change back, if you don't like kissing your twin." "Call me narcissistic, but don't. Now it's my turn." Jennifer pushed Cindy onto her back and moved between her thighs. "I always wondered what my pussy looks like." *** Scott shivered at the power and vivid nature of the memory he could feel his pussy twitching and realized he was aroused. The memory had a flavor. He focused on the taste Jennifer's juices on his tongue, abruptly his body started to tingle. Then he felt a shifting sensation and wave of vertigo hit him. He sat down on the bed to keep from falling over and took a deep breath. As quick as it came the sensations passed and he sighed. "That was weird." Then he froze, "My voice?" Knowing what must have happened Scott stood up and realized he was much smaller and his clothes no longer fit. He stumbled to the mirror and looking back was a stunning, sexy, Asian woman with tits that were probably smaller than Cindy's but on such a small body they seemed enormous. "That explains the IDs and the different clothes. She said she was a mutant, I wonder what else she could do." Then it came to him, Aqua kinesis, and an ability to breathe underwater. Somehow he knew he didn't have her abilities even if he wore her form. Scott extended his energy shield pushing it out a quarter inch away from his body. Satisfied that he still had Cindy's mutant ability even if he was now physically Jennifer's twin. "The Fists know about Carnifex but I get the feeling no one knows Cindy also has a shapeshifting talent. This explains how she can slip in and out of countries undetected." He quickly went to work, finding the right sized bra was challenging since Jennifer had a smaller chest but her cup size was almost the same as Cindy's. For a moment Scott was tempted to get more familiar with Jennifer's body but reminded himself that he had work to do. "My last orders were to go into deep cover. To do anything required to maintain my cover. I need to trust the Agency." He sighed. "Fine. So what would Carnifex do? She'd be pissed at the set up. She'd want a little pay-back." Having made up his mind Scott changed into jeans, a t-shirt, and then over the top he pulled on a warm pink sweat shirt with a hood and white letters that read University of Washington on the front. Scott shook his head bringing himself back to the present and looked down at the grocery store and grumbled. "Three days watching this thing and nothing. At least by shifting into Jen no one thinks it odd that I stop by the store once a day for supplies." After he got the van loaded and hidden away in a storage facility he returned to the Mercenaries, careful to resume his Cindy look first. By that time Cyber had identified a couple of possible locations to stake out. She'd also tried to hack the Fist's bank accounts only to be thwarted by the banks active defenses. Cyber defenses in the form of advanced A.I.s were unusual and Cyber took it as an insult and a challenge. "While you watch for their leaders, I'll get our money." The roof of the run down and abandoned ball-bearing factor had been a perfect spot for Scott to spy on the store. It was several blocks away but with his ability he had no trouble to watch it and he could fly there in seconds. He'd also been able to use the time to practice assuming both Jennifer and Sofie's shapes. The memory of having sex with Sofie still caused his heart to race. Each woman had a distinct taste and the memory of the taste was what triggered the transformation. Shifting back into Cindy was like relaxing a muscle. Scott also learned he could only hold one of their shapes while he was awake. He reverted to his Cindy shape when he fell asleep. Then there was the energy drain. Every time he used his shield he felt it burn up some of his energy. Oddly, shape-shifting into either Sofie or Jen didn't seem to affect his pool of power. Knowing he needed to be ready for a fight at any point Scott was very careful to avoid wasting energy, although with Iron and Dread on the same mission he'd charged up the "batteries" at least once a day. He'd still been riding high from the sex he'd had at the cabin when he approached Angus that first night, he hadn't needed a recharge, but justified it by telling himself he needed to keep expanding his reservoir of energy. So far there didn't seem to be a limit to how much energy he could hold. Now thinking about Iron's monster cock and the things it did to his tight little pussy caused Scott's nipples to get hard and a muscle inside his tummy to clench. "God, what is happening to me?" The realization shook Scott. "I want Angus to fuck my brains out and not for power, just because it feels so damn good. Does that make me gay?" At first he'd told himself that he hadn't had any choice he was just so low on power he had to get recharged. Then after fucking Leroy he'd justified it by knowing he needed to be as strong as possible if they were going to take on the Fists. Now, he had to face the fact, this body, liked sex. No, he liked sex. Sex in Cindy's body was an intense physical experience, beyond anything his male body had been capable of. He wasn't sure if it was because sex as a female was better but he suspected that it was part of Cindy's mutation. Then there was the energy. The feeling of power flowing into him was addictive. "When I get my body back, will I want to fuck guys?" The idea wasn't as repulsive as it would have been a week ago. "Do I want to give this up?" For the first time since taking over Carnifex's body Scott wondered if the Agency would let him keep it. "Rhonda seemed to enjoy my body when she had it." Then he shook his head, long dark hair dancing around his shoulders. "What am I thinking? Of course Rhonda wants her body back. She liked teasing me but I doubt she'd want to give up being a woman." Just then a car pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and a familiar looking guy got out. With a thought Scott zoomed his vision in and laughed. "Frank. At last! Time to see what you assholes are up to!" Scott veiled and then willed himself into the air. In a few seconds he descended into the parking lot and looked around to make sure no one was watching before dropping the veil. Today he'd switched to a denim mini-skirt with leggings, a tank that showed off his tight tummy, and matching denim jacket. He pushed into the store and waved at the elderly lady behind the counter. "Hi, Mrs. Wang, how are you today?" "Oh, hi, Jennifer. I'm good. What are you looking for today?" "I'm out of tea and I want to pick up some rice noodles for dinner tonight." Scott gave the woman Jennifer's cutest smile and flounced off toward the back of the store pretending he didn't see Frank. "What kind of tea are you looking for?" Scott looked up and realized that Frank was a lot taller than he was while wearing Jen's body. "Ginseng. You can't find it in most stores, plus I like supporting Mrs. Wang's store. She's such a nice person." Scott gave Frank his Jennifer's most open smile and then winked at him. Frank seemed surprised so Scott took advantage and brushed by him, his tits lightly touching Franks arm as Scott squeezed past. Scott kept walking already knowing where the tea was and allowed a slight smile to show. He knew how hot Jen was and there wasn't a red-blooded male out there who wouldn't have responded to the flirting. 'Well, at least the straight males.' "Hey." Scott turned around and raised a single questioning eyebrow. "My name's Frank. Frank Chen. I don't remember seeing you around before. And a beautiful girl like you... I'd remember." "I'm Jennifer. I'm in grad-school at the University." Knowing the hook had been set Scott couldn't resist, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Chen." As he collected his items Scott could tell that Frank was distracted. It was more than just stealing lustful glances at Scott, glances Scott made sure to encourage. Scott got in line behind Frank at the counter and couldn't help thinking Frank had a nice butt. For a moment Scott thought about digging his nails into Frank's ass, as Frank pounded his pussy. 'What the hell! Get a grip Scott.' He yelled silently at himself. "Going on a trip Mr. Chen?" "Yeah, a short one. Business, you know." Scott waited for Mrs. Wang to finish ringing up Frank. Trying not to look impatient. Then he paid for his items knowing he needed to hurry. He didn't want Frank to get too far ahead of him. "There you go sweetie. See you tomorrow." "Thanks, ma'am." Scott flashed Jen's most winsome smile and then left the store. As soon as he was sure it was safe he veiled and rose into the air. He made a quick side trip to get the backpack he'd left on the roof of the factory and then raced after the dark sedan. The traffic in Seattle was bad enough that Frank hadn't made it very far. 'No all I need to do is stay above him and see what he's up to.' *** Rhonda looked around the squad bay feeling bored. The attack on the mall had happened days ago and so far they didn't have any good leads. Soulsnatcher had just vanished leaving dozens of desiccated corpses and even more burned bodies in his wake. The survivors were all terrified and the news had been running non-stop about the danger this new mutant posed. Rhonda and the team had learned the truth. Soulsnatcher according to sealed government records was a generation one mutant. His name was Willard Jones and he'd been the head of the sales department of the pharmaceutical and research company the government had contracted to develop the Accelerator virus. The government had denied all involvement when it escaped the company's protocols and had gotten into the general public. Willard had become Soulsnatcher and it had taken a Spec-Ops team and a very powerful Psi-gifted mutant to take him down. He'd been so dangerous that at first they'd kept him drugged and in a coma. Then once they'd developed the mutant suppressor tech they'd brought him out. The problem was that even suppressed he was too dangerous for a normal prison, thus the high security special prison. "How are we supposed to track a guy who can assume the shape, has the powers, and possibly even the memories of anyone he's drained?" "Our research indicates it takes time for him to fully integrate a new person. He has access to the mutant powers at once along with the shape. However, skills and memories take more time. He doesn't even bother with normal humans. He just takes the energy and moves on." "Still there were what, twenty-six, at the mall that he drained? Plus the cops." "All of them were normal humans. It's doubtful he'd assume one of their shapes. He'd have no power other than his draining ability. Plus, the notes from Psi-Knight, the woman who stopped him the first time, there is a limit to the number of identities and shapes he can hold. She thought it was six but that's never been tested." Rhonda glanced away from Debbie. She had been one of the few bright spots so far to this assignment. There were eight members of the strike team; two squads of four. Each squad had a teleporter, a level 5, C-Class, psionic to shield the team, and two members to take out Soulsnatcher. Taser and Eros were on the same team and Rhonda had augmented Scott's normal arsenal by adding a minigun. Rhonda caught Debbie's eye and winked. The resulting blush caused Rhonda's dick to twitch. Last night she'd managed to get both Rhonda and Seraph, an D-Class level 6 energizer from the other squad, into a three-some. After they'd both passed out from carnal bliss she'd slipped out of the building. She'd recovered the special phone and used it to contact the Shadow Lord. Rhonda: The plan is on track. I'm with a strike team, waiting to take down Soulsnatcher. Unknown: His escape is a disaster. Never let a good emergency go to waist. Rhonda: What do you need me to do? Unknown: Take down Soulsnatcher, publicly. Become the poster-boy, all American hero, who stopped the evil mutant. Rhonda: If I do that, I'll have to leave the Agency. Once the public knows who I am I can't work as a Special Agent. I thought you wanted me to take over SMAC. Unknown: This is a bigger opportunity. After you're a hero we'll need you in D.C. Rhonda: Understood. Rhonda focused on the mental-drill she'd learned from CC. Even if she didn't have true psi-abilities she had a disciplined mind and the shields prevented anyone with telepathic talents from overhearing her thoughts. They wouldn't last if a telepath started poking around in her head so Rhonda knew she needed to be careful. The door to the squad bay banged open. "We've got him!" Rhonda looked over at the Alpha Squad leader. Hammer was a tall guy and he was already moving to his kit. "Intel just picked him up from a news report. There's a woman flying over a water park in Arizona. She is an Energizer with cold powers. She's killed a bunch of people by freezing the water they were in." "That doesn't sound like our target." Rhonda noted moving to get into her gear. "She's also leaving desiccated corpses behind her." "Why there?" "It's just outside of Phoenix and is known for being a resort frequented by mutants." Debbie answered. Rhonda looked over at her and she blew Eros a kiss and whispered. "Good luck." "We don't need luck." Taser replied smirking. "Take my hands." Harold, Jumpstart, the D-class teleporter said. The four members of Rhonda's squad linked hands and then she felt a burning sensation, followed by a wave of nausea and vertigo, everything went dark and they were floating. Then sight and sound returned with a crash and Rhonda looked around. Rhonda saw a woman with snow-white hair floating twenty feet above ground to her south. She swung the minigun around and started the electric motor. To the untrained eye this looked like any other minigun, except that it had been modified by the Agency. The rounds were depleted uranium. Every tenth round was WP which helped Rhonda track the rounds to the target. Every 50th round had a dampener in it. The dampener activated when the tip of the bullet flattened out on impact. It had to be touching a mutant for it to work but odds were good that it'd be in contact while the next several rounds struck since the rate of fire was a hundred rounds per second. "Stay within thirty feet of me." Thirdeye announced. The small man wasn't very intimidating but he was a level 6 C-Class telepath. Jogging toward Soulsnatcher everything around her started to slow down as Eros/Rhonda shifted into battle mode. There was a flash and Hammer's squad jumped into existence. Hammer lifted a hand and lightning slashed down from the sky into his fist. The lighting solidified into the shape of a hammer. With a smooth throwing motion he flung the hammer of living lightning at Soulsnatcher. The thunder that had accompanied the lighting strike had drawn the woman's eyes and she grinned. "At last! Mutants worth draining." She lifted her hand and gale force winds slammed into the lightning- hammer pushing it to one side. Then she made a, "come here" gesture. When nothing happened she had a shocked expression. "You didn't think we'd show up unprepared... Did you?" Hammer laughed pulling the M240 off his back. Seraph lifted her hands and light coalesced around her. When the glow faded a blonde angel with snow white wings and a shining dress stood there. She snapped her wings and rose into the sky a flaming sword appeared in her hand. She threw her sword which shot like a bullet toward Soulsnatcher. Abruptly, Soulsnatcher shifted. Clothed in a long dark robe with his hood up he lifted a pale feminine hand and darkness blossomed around him. "Fuck." Rhonda shouted in frustration and cut loose. The sword disappeared into the growing ball of darkness as did Rhonda's rounds. "Agh!" The scream came from Hammer's squad. "Cease fire!" Rhonda looked over and saw a gate hanging in the air just behind the squad. Their teleporter had a flaming sword sticking out of his guts and their telepath was down, nearly cut in two by Rhonda's rounds. Abruptly, the sword vanished and the teleporter slid to the ground gasping in agony. Soulsnatcher stepped through the gate and the ball of darkness where he'd been vanished. "Gotcha." He made the come her gesture and Hammer screamed as energy arced from him to Soulsnatcher's hand. "Get over here!" Thirdeye shouted at Seraph. Taser screamed and unleashed a torrent of lightning at the darkly cowled figure but it was too late. Hammer's mummified corpse crashed to the ground as Taser's lightning struck. The power of the blast lifted Soulsnatcher up and tossed him twenty feet to one side. With her line of fire obstructed Rhonda raced forward and to one side shooting as she ran. "Eros, that's the limit of my range." Rhonda skidded to a stop and kept on firing. "Aahhhhhh!" Soulsnatcher's scream of pain was the first clue that the rounds were working then darkness enveloped him. Rhonda stopped shooting having learned that lesson once and looked around. Seraph was now floating overhead a sword blazing like the sun in each hand. Taser moved to stand next to Rhonda while Thirdeye and Jumpstart jogged up to them. "Where'd she go?" "I don't see her... him. Anywhere." Seraph announced. As she did she spread her wings climbing higher she started to circle around looking for the mutant. "Shit. What now?" Taser asked. Rhonda saw reporters headed their way and made a snap decision. "Stay here. Get your faces covered." She gestured at the passed out teleporter. "Jumpstart. Get her to Doc White now and get back here." Then Rhonda headed toward the media and flashed Scott's best smile. "Folks, this is still an active crime scene. My name is Special Agent Scott Irons. I'm with the Special Mutant Affairs Command and we are still searching for the criminal who attacked the park." Rhonda saw cell phones up recording and cameras flashing. 'I guess Eros's days working spec ops are over.' At the same time she heard Taser mutter, "Eros, what are you doing?" Rhonda looked back over her shoulder. "I'm taking control of the scene until local law enforcement arrives." She stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Just then Seraph landed, she now had a mask over her face and looked around before walking over to Rhonda. "There's no sign of Soulsnatcher anywhere." Just then Jumpstart reappeared. "Got her to the doc in time to save her, I think." Rhonda nodded looking calm. "Fine. Jumpstart, take everyone except Seraph back to HQ and then get back out here. Taser, you'll have to carry Truesight's remains. We'll want to be ready to re-deploy as soon as we get another hit on the suspect." Then she looked at Seraph, "Get back overhead and keep alert. I need to know if Soulsnatcher shows back up." The reporters were too stunned to ask any questions for the moment which suited Rhonda just fine. *** Scott settled onto the ridge that gave him a good view of the small family farm about a half-mile away. The land had little by way of cover being mostly flat and cleared for farming. The ridge offered a good observation point. The farm itself was small and unassuming. A low building the Scott assumed was a chicken coop. A large barn for farm equipment, a granary and a large farm house with a wraparound porch. Even though it looked like a thousand other small family farms that could be found all over Washington this one was different. Different because it was Frank's destination. He'd followed Frank as he drove two hours north and east of Seattle, up into the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The flight had drained less of Scott's power than he'd been expecting and he chalked that up to having more energy in his reservoir than ever before. He felt shaken as he fumbled Carnifex's phone from his jacket's pocket. Just as Frank's car pulled into the yard a gate had appeared near the large barn. The familiar figure of Banshee stepped out of the gate. At first Scott had thought she must have survived. Then he let the delusion go. He remembered using his power to float her mummified corpse to a spot near the cabin and then helping Ironmonger dig a grave. The woman's body blurred and shifted and suddenly a tall handsome man was standing where she'd been. Scott felt shocked, it was Hammer, one of his few friends. They'd gone through the academy together and had even worked an operation or two together over the years. 'Fuck. Soulsnatcher must have got him.' Scott drifted closer but couldn't hear what they said. The two mutants walked into the farm house and Scott knew better than to follow. His veil was pretty good but it caused a blurring when he moved. That would be a give away that he couldn't risk. Instead he'd gone into the barn to see what he could find. The bodies of the farmer, his wife, and daughter, all mummified caused his gorge to rise and he had to fight to breathe. 'That monster has to be stopped!' Looking around the barn he saw that it was mostly empty. The exception was a military vehicle with U.S. Air Force on the side. Looking it over Scott couldn't place it. When he climbed into the back he saw what looked like a large bomb. Not knowing much about bombs Scott got out his phone and took several pictures to include the serial numbers from the side. Knowing the Agency would want to deal with this right away Scott used a number for leaving tips. He sighed with relief when the number still worked. The automated voice system was still irritating but he quickly left a message he was sure would get their attention. "I'm a concerned citizen. I've spotted a dangerous mutant who's been all over the news. They're calling him Soulsnatcher. He is staying with a group of mutants who call themselves the Fists of Anarchy. They've also stolen Air Force equipment it looks like some kind of bomb." Then Scott read the serial number from the photo he'd taken along with the GPS coordinates. After that he settled down to watch. While he did he opened the backpack he kept with him during his stakeout of the grocery store. After drinking some water and eating an energy bar Scott decided it was time for Carnifex to make an appearance. If the Agency was going to show up something in the back of his mind told him he should keep his alternate identities a secret. He quickly changed into the bigger clothes that fit Cindy and relaxed allowing her form to come to the front. Then he sat down watching the farm. "God, I hate waiting." Dusk arrived before Scott noticed anything odd. He'd ended up lying on the ground using the backpack as a pillow. He'd also turned his phone off and pulled out the battery. The Agency could use his message to trace the phone. While he wanted them to get Soulsnatcher he didn't need them to know he was here. "I should just fly back to Seattle and let the Agency deal with this." But he couldn't leave. He had to know if-when they took Snatcher down. "Besides," he mused, "Snatcher can gate out at any time. Best if I keep an eye on things." Just then there was a flash of light and the farm house blew up. Half a mile away Scott felt the concussion. The barn took some damage as debris from the farmhouse slammed into it. Then he heard the roar overhead and looked up spotting a spec against the rapidly darkening sky. 'They used an airplane to drop a bomb on him? Shit they must be desperate.' There was a second flash of light and five mutants appeared. Scott still veiled rose into the air leaving the backpack and raced down to the scene of destruction. "See, a two thousand pounder from forty thousand feet and all that's left is dead mutants." Scott recognized Taser's voice. "I need to make sure the nuke is secure." He allowed his vision to zoom in and watched his friend and a woman he didn't recognize hurry into the barn. Then Scott saw his original body and froze. Hovering in the air, Scott was unsure what to do. It was so surreal. Watching himself give orders. "Thirdeye go with Dozer and make sure Soulsnatcher is dead." "Roger." "Jumpstart, stay with me. Be ready to act if something happens. We think Soulsnatcher's range is about twenty five yards." Scott felt an urge to float down and introduce himself. Then he shook his head, 'That's crazy. The team would have to arrest me. Even if they don't know who raided the prison and Cindy never committed any crimes in the U.S. we have treaties with Australia and there are arrest warrants for her there.' Just then Dozer had reached the edge of the ruined farm house. He made a gesture and chunks of rubble flew away. Small fires were still burning and Scott was impressed with how careful Dozer was being as he plowed through the building. 'That's right. I remember him now; he's an D-Class telekinetic level 3 or 4 if I remember right. He must also be doing something to keep the heat away.' Scott continued watching and after moment nodded, he was moving between two and three thousand pounds at a time. 'Level three.' The barn door opened and a woman Scott didn't recognize came out. "Eros, positive confirmation. We've got a nuke. I've called it in. An Air Force recovery team is on its way. ETA One-Five Mikes." 'Holy shit, how did those idiots get a nuke?' "I've got a body." The announcement drew everyone back to Dozer who was roughly in the middle of the ruined farm house. He pulled up a limp and broken body and it took Scott a moment to recognize it. 'Frank. You poor bastard.' Then the rubble shifted. Dozer quickly floated up and away, unfazed by the movement. "Relax. This happens a lot in this situation. I'm guessing the house had a basement and the wreckage is still settling. Aaahhhhhhh..." Dozer went ridged his back arching with pain as a white light snaked from his body down into the ruin. "Noooooo!" Thirdeye screamed moving toward the rubble and extending a hand, desperate to stop what was happening, but unwilling to enter the dangerous wreckage. The flow of energy slowed and suddenly Dozer seemed to break free, his body flew back and away landing next to Thirdeye steam drifting up into the air as he took deep gasping breaths. Then the ruins exploded up and flying into the night a burning comet ascended. The blazing form of Vulcan was one Scott had seen before but he was sure the others hadn't. Rhonda looked around, "Taser, Seraph, you're up." "KKKKeeeeeeaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Taser extended both arms up into the night and the thickest lightning storm Scott had ever seen shot up at the fleeing mutant. At the same time the female Scott didn't recognize blazed up with white light. A moment later an Angel with white wings holding a pair of flaming swords replaced the more non-descript blonde. At the last moment Soulsnatcher shifted to one side and transformed mid-flight. Hammer appeared in the space Vulcan had been occupying and he reached out bathing his hands in the electrical storm. His momentum spent he started falling toward the SMAC team only now he held the largest hammer Scott had ever seen, and it was made of living lightning. "Remember to stay back." Eros shouted as Seraph took to the sky. "If you get too close he can take you." Then he turned to the mutant next to him. "Jumpstart, get Dozer to medical, now, and get back ASAP. Bring anyone not on a mission who might be able to help." As he fell Soulsnatcher swung the lightning hammer around in a circle and then launched it directly at Rhonda. Scott gasped knowing there was no way she'd escape. Then Rhonda blurred to one side while Taser stepped into the path of the bolt. The sound of thunder rolled over the farm and the explosion sent sod, rocks, and dirt flying. "Ugh, did anyone get the number of the bus that hit me?" Taser tried sitting up and Scott could see through his enhanced vision little bolts of electricity arcing over his skin. His clothes were burned and if Scott had to guess most of the damage was from the explosion and the crater created by Soulsnatcher's strike. Not the lightning. Slowly, Eros sat up. "Fuck. That sucked." Scott breathed a sigh of relief. Taser must have absorbed enough electricity to reduce the blast and Rhonda had made use of her mutant speed and reflexes to get out of the way. His former body's healing would be kicking in now so Rhonda would be fine. "Oh, that tickles." Scott looked back and saw that Soulsnatcher had resumed Vulcan's shape and was laughing at Seraph. A pair of flaming swords were sticking out of his chest. They winked out after a moment. "I like to play with fire too." Then he shot toward her. Seraph darted away flapping her wings although Scott could tell it was mostly for show. Her Energizer ability was what allowed her to fly, not the wings. The pair rocketed away from the farm and Scott followed behind. "You're not getting away that easily." He muttered, looking for an opportunity to help without giving away his presence. Soon they were several miles from the farm above the Cascades and try as she might Seraph couldn't shake Soulsnatcher. She threw one flaming sword after another at him but he just let them hit and his Vulcan body absorbed them without showing any damage. Then Soulsnatcher lifted a hand and made a grabbing gesture. "AAAaaahhhh..." Seraph arched her back hair flying wildly about her as white energy flowed from her back and toward Soulsnatcher's outstretched hand. "No you don't!" Scout growled in his soft alto. He was close enough so he extended a shield and enveloped the evil mutant. As he did he made sure the shield cut off all oxygen and sealed all psionic powers within the confining bubble. Abruptly, the energy that had been flying toward Soulsnatcher stopped and Seraph tumbled toward the ground. Scott reached out and caught her in another bubble. He wasn't sure if her mutation would allow her to survive the fall but she appeared to be unconscious. Soulsnatcher spun around his eyes finding Scott. That's when Scott realized he wasn't veiling any more. 'I need more practice at multi- tasking.' "Who are you?" "No one." "No, I recognize you. You broke me out of prison." Then the flames around Soulsnatcher winked out as the oxygen within the bubble was consumed. Soulsnatcher looked surprised, and then astonished, as he fell to the bottom of the bubble. His hands went to his throat as he desperately sought air. Then he reached toward Scott and made a come here gesture. Scott felt something push against his shield. "I don't think so, asshole." Soulsnatcher's face started to get red and he reached out with both hands toward Scott. This time it wasn't a push, it was a surge, a tsunami of power as Soulsnatcher sought to break the shield. A bright spike of pain blossomed in Scotts head as he desperately tried to hold the shield containing Soulsnatcher's power. For an eternity they hung on the edge of a knife and then the pressure faded. Soulsnatcher slumped to the bottom of the bubble and transformed. The old man Scott had seen in the prison was now a young man. If Scott had to guess, he'd have said the guy was in his late twenties. Scott adjusted the shield to allow some air into the bubble trying to judge how much to allow without waking him up. At the same time he sighed in relief and checked his reservoir. Over half his energy had been consumed. "If you let me out, I can help." Scott looked down at Seraph and realized that she had come to and was standing at the bottom of the bubble looking up at Scott. "Sure. Sorry about that, I just didn't want you to hit the ground. I wasn't sure what would happen." Scott released her and Seraph soared up and then moved over to float next to Scott. "It would have hurt but probably wouldn't have killed me. I'm tougher than I look. Names Seraph." "Nice to meet you. Did you have a way to hold him?" Seraph reached into a cargo pocket and pulled out a power dampening collar. "This should do it, it's a PDC." "I know what it is." Scott used his power to lift the collar out of her hand and pressed the button that opened it. Then he sent it through the shield holding Soulsnatcher and snapped it around his neck. With a thought he pressed the activation button and the red lights activated. "Come on, my team is prepared to take him into custody." Suddenly giddy with post fight relief Scott flew along behind Seraph. As he did he admired the view. 'I wonder how it would feel to wear her body? Although it would be her normal body since I don't get to copy the mutant's powers. From what I saw of Seraph's normal body she looks very similar to her "Seraph" body. She just hides under the business suit and Special Agent persona. I bet she's a tiger in bed.'' The flight back to the farm took a few minutes and during that time Soulsnatcher started to stir. Scott made sure to keep his psionic powers contained even though he was now wearing a power dampener. Then they were descending and for the first time Scott thought about coming face-to-face with his team. By now there were about a dozen agents on site and two fliers had formed up around them a about a mile from the farm to escort them in. Once on the ground Scott floated Soulsnatcher over to Rhonda and dropped him at her feet. "I think you were looking for him?" Rhonda looked at Scott and for a moment there was a slight grimace. Then it was gone. Suddenly, Scott got an uneasy feeling. He drew his power in and tried to seem as non-threatening as possible. He was keenly aware he was surrounded by SMAC Agents most of whom would know about Carnifex. "Seraph, report." The curt command caught Scott off guard. He couldn't remember using that tone, ever, on one of his team mates. "Soulsnatcher chased and caught me. Just as he started to use his power the mutant, Carnifex, showed up. She somehow cut him off. I lost consciousness briefly but when I came too Soulsnatcher was out cold and she was in control. I gave Carnifex my PDC and she used it on Soulsnatcher. After that we returned here." Rhonda nudged Soulsnatcher with her boot and when he didn't move grunted. "Good job, Seraph." Then she looked at Scott. "Thank you for helping with this operation. I take it you were the anonymous caller?" Scott nodded, hyper aware that he was now the center of attention. "What where you doing here?" "Business. Mine. Not yours or the U.S. governments." Rhonda moved closer to Scott stepping within arm's reach. At the same time Scott felt a flutter against his mental shields. He grinned realizing that Rhonda was trying to use her empathic powers on him. She didn't realize that his mind was automatically shielded. "Carnifex?" At this Scott glanced over at Taser who had stepped forward. He looked bruised and tired but he'd survived. Taser gave him a slight nod. As if to say, "Well done." and Scott relaxed. For the first time in over a week he felt relief. Then he saw blur of movement out of the corner of his eye and heard a click. Scott felt the weight of a power dampening collar settle around his neck and he stepped back gasping. "What the hell?" "Cindy Snow, Carnifex, you are under arrest. Do not resist or we will have to take extreme measures." *** Chapter Six *** The shadows were long and dark drenching the landscape and giving the estate a gothic old world feel. Solomon standing on the mansion's third floor veranda looked up at the moon with unseeing eyes. "How is it possible?" He'd been briefed on the day's events and still found it impossible to accept. Willard, his oldest friend, had been captured. He remembered the events in Detroit, years ago, that had led to Willard being captured the first time. He didn't think there was another psionic powerful enough to get past Willard's defenses and put him to sleep. Yet somehow it had happened. "Frank. What a disappointment you turned out to be." Solomon had fathered many children over the years. Most had died trying to earn his respect. The survivors were the ones who cut themselves off from him, living on their own away from his money, power, and influence. Solomon sometimes wonder if they were the smart ones. "UUUooooooorrrrrrr" The howl of a solitary wolf paying homage to the moon caught Solomon's attention. He looked around the grounds that he could see from his vantage point surveying the area. The well-manicured lawn was nearly flat trees had been planted years ago to add an artistic touch to the ten acre property. He shrugged, not spotting anything out of the ordinary, and took a sip of the strong red wine. "It's been years since a wolf was spotted west of the Cascades this close to Seattle." He mused. "Maybe I need to do a little hunting." Just then all the lights in the mansion behind him went out. He turned to look back at his house in time to hear shouts from the staff and guards. Not panicked sounding instead they were irritated at the loss of power. The thunder of the front gate leading to the property being smashed open echoed through the night. Solomon's amusement faded as a giant thundered down the driveway. The mutant had to be almost fifteen feet tall. More astonishing, his feet seemed to smash through the paved driveway and then the moon light reflected from his metallic skin and Solomon's jaw fell open. "Ironmonger." Abruptly, the night exploded with gun fire. Even from this distance Solomon could see bullets bouncing harmlessly off Ironmonger's metallic skin. Then the first of his mutant guards got in on the act. A beam of red energy lanced down the driveway and splashed across Ironmonger's chest. He ignored it. The lumbering run left huge pot holes of shattered concrete behind Ironmonger indicating a vast weight, a weight far exceeding his size. "Just what are you made of?" Shadows swirled behind Ironmonger and a mutant blinked in. He knelt to the ground and did something and then the shadows consumed him again. A second later the claymore mine he'd planted went off. The explosion was so bright Solomon had to look away. He could almost feel the concussion from the blast, even at this distance. When he looked back down a part of the driveway had been destroyed. However, Ironmonger was still jogging forward. "What the hell? Maybe I'll have to get involved." Just then he heard a noise above and behind him. Solomon dropped his glass and turned. He gasped in disbelief at the sight of an enormous Werewolf in a hybrid battle form glaring down from the roof with glowing red eyes. Before he could act the monster dropped onto the balcony and his world exploded in pain as the creature backhanded him. Angus wasn't sure how much longer he could maintain his Osmium based body. It was his most powerful form but it was exhausting. At the sound of Dreadnaught's howl he'd smashed through the front gate and grinned when all the lights in the estate went out. Cyber was doing her bit to help the attack. He knew all internet access was now blocked, along with cell phones, land lines, and the alarm system. The estate was cut off. He barely noticed the bullets or other mutant attacks as he lumbered up the driveway. The problem with being so dense was that he weighed more than even the concrete could support. It felt like he as jogging through mud. Coming from Scotland this was something he was familiar with but he knew he needed to pay attention to his footing. The explosion from the mine almost made him lose his balance and he stumbled forward. Angus shook his head, he was tempted to find the mutant who'd planted the mine but knew better. Solomon Chen was the target. Dreadnaught's victorious howl split the night and Iron saw a body falling from the balcony of the mansions third floor to smash into the professionally maintained grounds. Ironmonger left the driveway and slowed to a steady, long striding, walk. "Need to make sure the bastard is dead." As he approached the unmoving figure it started to glow. Feeling a spike of concern he focused on the body as it began to stir. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dreadnaught drop to the ground, landing on all fours before standing up to his full seven foot hybrid form. Before he could reach Solomon his body exploded up. Twisting and snaking with an impossibly sinuous spin the old man transformed. His clothes exploded away from the expanding body as the glowing intensified. Red and gold scales rippled down his back as his transformation took hold. His head transformed, snout extending jaw expanding and Ironmonger stumbled to a halt as the transformation finished. The Chinese dragon twisted and turned looking over its twisting body before looking at Iron. The creature had to be thirty feet long and when he felt its gaze it seemed like he was looking into the eyes of a being of ancient and terrible power. The look froze Ironmonger. He wanted to move but he knew that this creature would destroy him if he resisted. The dragon moved toward Iron its four legs and winding snake like body were poetry in motion. The beauty was enough to dazzle him. It made Iron wonder why they'd ever wanted to hurt this creature. "You dare attack me? Fools! I've killed hundreds of your kind. I needed a distraction from today's news so this will be fun." Just then a being of dark fur, claws, fangs, and red glowing eyes struck its back legs. The attack was swift and vicious and Iron felt horrified. "AAAaaaaahhhhhh" The shrill scream would have been enough to rupture a normal human's eardrums. Fortunately Ironmonger currently didn't have eardrums. The dragon twisted around impossibly quickly and struck at Dreadnaught. Despite Dreadnaught's enhanced speed he wasn't quick enough and Solomon's jaws clamped down on his shoulder. The dragon reared back lifting the Werewolf from the ground and shaking him. "Fuuuuuccccckkkkk..." Dread groaned, grabbing the dragon's jaws trying to force them open. Even with his mutant power it seemed like Solomon was too strong. For a moment they were tied and then slowly the jaws opened. Knowing he lost that fight Solomon tossed his head violently to one side flinging Dreadnaught free. He wanted to leap after him but his back left leg wasn't working properly. Instead he limps forward intent on finishing off the irritating mutant Werewolf. Then he felt a powerful force grip him around the neck just below his head and lift. Solomon twisted around trying to see who or what had grabbed him and saw the mutant he'd used his beguiling power on gripping him with two powerful hands. The beguilement had failed while he'd been distracted and now he had two foes to deal with. Solomon lifted his body off the ground forcing Iron to support his full weight as he wrapped the mutant in a draconic version of a python's hug. Then he started to squeeze while using his forelegs to rake at the metallic body of his foe. After a moment Ironmonger started laughing, "Is that the best you've got, old man?" "Fuck." Solomon hissed, "You're strong and almost physically invulnerable." Then he made eye contact. "How are your psionic defenses?" Solomon started pushing his beguilement once again and he felt Ironmonger freeze. Ironmonger's tight grip still held Solomon like a vice preventing him from falling free but he knew in a moment Ironmonger would be his Thrall. Then together they'd hunt the mutant who'd had the audacity to hurt him. "No you don't, bitch." Pain exploded at the back of Solomon's neck just below his head and then his whole body went numb as his spine was severed. "N-No," he managed to gasp. The pain at his neck got worse and then in horror he saw his body fall away. The image of his long snake like form twisting and turning was the last thing he saw as his vision faded. *** Scott sat. His hands shackled to a metal ring attached to the metal table bolted to the floor. He was now wearing a grey jump suit reserved for mutant prisoners. The suit covered him from ankle to wrist although the zipper stopped low enough so that the PDC around his neck was clearly visible and in contact with his skin. The SMAC agents had followed protocol separating the captives even though Soulsnatcher had remained unconscious. The trip to the Farm and the holding facility had been surreal for Scott. He'd made this trip before, with captive mutants, but never as a prisoner. Female agents had taken custody of him and directed him to remove his clothes. They'd tagged everything, ordered him to shower, and watched to make sure he did a good job. Scott had thought about asking one of them to join him, he remembered Beth from a night of passion about two months ago. But he kept his mouth shut and docilly followed orders. He was undercover and needed to play along. Sooner or later either Rhonda or Taser would visit and explain what was going on. They'd ordered him to get dressed giving him a sports bra, panties, the jumpsuit, socks and sneakers. After that they'd photographed him, taken a DNA sample, finger prints, and brought him to the interrogation room. Then they'd left him to wait. This was a standard procedure to mess with the prisoner's mind. It didn't bother Scott. He'd been through the Agency's version of SERE school. Survival Escape Resistance and Evasion school had given him a number of tools for situations like this, except he'd never heard of anyone being in a situation like this. He was a prisoner of the Agency he worked for. Sooner or later Scott was sure someone would clue him in on what was going on. To occupy his time Scott closed his eyes and focused on his power. The dampener worked based on skin contact. When Rhonda had snapped it on his neck he'd accidentally reacted by pulling his power in, allowing it to hum along just under his skin like he did during sex so that he could feel his partner. The collar had activated and he could feel its dampening effect at work. It felt like a layer of oil covering every inch of his skin. He slowly tried to push his shield out, just around his eyes, so he could test his ability to use it to see into the infrared spectrum. As soon as his shield touched the dampening field the power vanished. He kept himself from reacting but felt shocked. Scott took a few deep breaths and focused on the knot of power. Still over half full. Although, it was getting hard to measure since he'd blown the door off what he'd thought Cindy's limit was by having several rounds of sex with both Ironmonger and Dreadnaught. He'd more than doubled the amount he had when he woke up as Carnifex. With nothing else to do he slowly extended the shield until it was just below his skin, millimeters from the dampening field. He held it there and wondered what he could do with it. He slowly pulled against the shackles until the slack was gone. He felt them bite into his soft skin, then with his mind he used his shield to add force to the pull. Instantly he felt the shackles start to cut his soft skin and stopped. 'Interesting.' Next he tried to lift his body from the chair, just a tenth of an inch. Success! It wasn't enough for the watchers to see but enough for him to know he wasn't powerless. Then the door to the cell banged open and Rhonda walked in along with Kevin. He tried to keep his face expressionless sure there were watchers on the other side of the two- way mirror. Kevin stepped to one side of the door and stopped folding his arms over his chest and giving Scott an intimidating scowl. Rhonda moved around and pulled out a chair opposite Scott. She spun it around so the back faced the table and then sat dropping a thick file onto the table and folded her arms over the back rest. The move, posture, and her every gesture screamed with masculine virility and confidence. This was a male, at his prime, confident, and in control. Scott wanted to laugh. "Cindy Snow, also known as Carnifex. Australian citizen. Female. Twenty-eight years old. Wanted in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and South Africa. You're an International mercenary with a record of extreme violence, voracious sexual appetites, and brutal effectiveness. I don't have any record of power testing but a review of film and eye witness reports indicate D-class energizer around level eight." Rhonda paused looking unblinkingly into Scott's eyes. He felt a flutter at the shield around his head and breathed a sigh of relief. Either Rhonda had tried a projective empathic push or an Agency telepath had tried to get a read on his reaction to Rhonda's introduction. "You have the advantage of me, sir." Scott lifted one auburn eyebrow, intending to play along. "Of course. My name is Special Agent Scott Irons, my code name is Eros, and I'm with the Special Mutant Affairs Command of the Mutant Affairs Agency. I'm a mutant and the team leader of the strike team that captured the mutant criminal Soulsnatcher." "You had a little help." Scott couldn't resist the taunt at Rhonda's arrogant posturing. Then he felt stunned when he realized what she'd just said and the blood drain from his face. Providing your real name broke every protocol. 'She knows I know who she is... that means that statement was for those watching us, not me. What fucking game is she up too?' At the same time there was a slight grunt from Kevin. Scott looked over at him. He was still leaning against the wall but he just shook his head. "I'm Taser." "Nice ta meet ya, Taser." Scott gave Kevin a lascivious wink before turning back to Rhonda. "So, why am I under arrest? I just helped you bring in a dangerous criminal. You should be thanking me." Rhonda shook her head. "A criminal whose escape was orchestrated by... who? What brings a powerful international mercenary to Seattle? We have pictures of you and another mutant known as Ironmonger entering a Fists of Anarchy rented warehouse. Why? Did the Fists free Soulsnatcher? Is that what you were hired to do?" The fluttering against Scott's shields turned into a spike and then a drill. Pain flared in his mind as he felt the shield start to separate under the assault. Scott knew an Agency telepath was working from the other side of the glass and he poured power into his shield closing his eyes concentrating. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you. You are in a lot of trouble young woman." The words were from a great distance as Scott patched the shield then doubled and triple layered it. The attack continued but his shield was holding. Scott opened his eyes and glared up at Rhonda. "Fuck you. I want a lawyer." It was hard to think about what he should say as Cindy while also keeping the telepath out. This was a black op so Scott doubted the telepath was authorized to know what was going on. Besides, he'd had enough of C-Class mutants messing with his mind. There was no telling what that mutant might do if he let him or her into his head. Crack The sound of Rhonda's open handed slap across his chin was amazingly loud. There wasn't much pain since his shield still protected him from taking more than skin deep damage. However, the move almost had achieved its intended effect it distracted Scott and the telepath had surged forward with his attack. At the same time Scott had instinctively extended his shield beyond his skin. The first layer vanished when it touched the dampening field. Fortunately, even though the mutant had pierced the second layer the third had stopped him. Scott took a deep breath and looked over at Kevin. "I thought mutants had rights? What's next, the water board?" Abruptly the mental assault stopped. Kevin walked over to Rhonda and put a hand on her masculine shoulder. "Why don't you take a break Eros? I've got it from here." Angrily Rhonda got up and stomped out of the room. Scott waited until the door closed and Kevin had taken the chair turned it around and sat down. He placed his hands on the folder and looked calmly at Scott. "Okay, I get it. Good cop." Scott nodded toward Kevin. "And bad cop." He gestured with his chin toward the door and the departed Rhonda. "But seriously. Why am I under arrest? What are you charging me with?" Kevin tapped the file. "As you are an Australian citizen, and our records indicate that you are wanted in Australia for a number of crimes, we've notified the embassy. Under the mutant protection act we are allowed to hold you for forty-eight hours. Provided you can prove you are in this country legally we'll release you. Unless the Australian embassy requests extradition." The wink was very subtle but it was enough for Scott to relax slightly. There was something going on. This whole thing was for show. It still didn't explain why Rhonda was using Scott's real name. "Is it normal for Special Agents to introduce themselves? I noticed Agent Irons gave me his name but all I know about you is your code name." Kevin nodded. "It's very unusual." He stood up and collected the folder and walked to the door. Then he paused and looked back over his shoulder at Scott. "Although, in Scott's case it doesn't matter, not after meeting the press down in New Mexico and then running to the cameras after capturing Soulsnatcher, to let them know the threat was over and that he's the one who stopped it." Disgust dripped from every word and all Scott could do was sit still and feel shocked. Rhonda had just ruined his life. When they swapped he couldn't go back to work as a SMAC Special Agent. Not if the media knew who he was. *** Director Cox looked at Rhonda feeling disgusted. "What was that interrogation all about?" "I trust Thirdeye. I needed to know if he could penetrate Carnifex's mind while she's wearing a PDC. I suspected the psionic training CC gave him would help, but didn't expect him to stop Thirdeye cold. If he got into her mind then we would have had to implant a cover personality or any telepath she meets while in custody would know about the operation. I suspect that she has some limited access to her abilities even with the dampener working." "You over step your authority, Rhonda." Rhonda tried not to wince at the use of her real name. "First you pull that stunt with the media. That forces my hand. I can't keep you in SMAC. Then you use the arrest of Soulsnatcher to become a national hero. I've already gotten calls from D.C... There are several Congressmen and women who'd love to talk to you." The growl in Cox's voice would intimidate most Agents. Rhonda just waited for him to get to the point. "Then you arrest Scott/Carnifex. After he helped you capture Soulsnatcher you should have let him go. Did you know someone attacked Solomon Chen's estate? All electronic devices failed. The house was destroyed and the first responders found several dead mutants along with Chen's broken body next to his severed head on his lawn." "Good riddance if you ask me. He probably got cross wise with someone else in the criminal underworld." Rhonda shrugged not really caring about the news. Cox slapped the desk. "We were trying to use them to get into a Filipino terrorist group. Now that approach is closed." "Maybe, but the mission objective was to stop the flow of cash back to the Filipino terrorist group. With Solomon Chen dead I'm pretty sure the cash flow will halt. Mission success." For a moment they locked eyes in a contest of wills. "Look, Director, everyone on the strike team recognized Carnifex. I couldn't let her go. It would have caused too many questions." At this Cox leaned back and let out an explosive sigh. "That might be true. But the interview was out of line. We could have arranged a covert escape. Now Scott's being held in max mutant security at the Farm." "Where do we go from here... sir?" Rhonda added the sir a moment later than appropriate just to let Cox know what she thought of him. Cox gave Rhonda a hard look and then after the silence stretched picked up a document and slid it across the desk to Rhonda. "CC is dead. I don't have the ability to put Scott back into that body. But you already know that. Is that why you went public?" Rhonda moved to pick up the document but Cox's ham sized fist came down on it holding it in place. "I don't know why the Director of the Mutant Affairs Agency made the by name request, but you are now the director of the MAA Legislative Liaison Department. When you get to D.C. they'll swear you in. You've also been promoted, Senior Executive Service. Congratulations." Cox let go of the documents and Rhonda saw it was a new contract. She hid her grin, just barely. The promotion doubled her salary but more than that was the prestige of the appointment and the assignment itself. She was now a peer of Director Cox and working in D.C. meant access to real power. No more long nights staking out rogue mutant criminals. No more dangerous missions risking her life for a public who didn't know or care. She'd followed orders even when she didn't understand them and the Shadow Lord had come through. She now had more power living in Scott's body than she'd ever dreamed. Combine that with this assignment and she knew she'd been right to accept the offer when they'd recruited her. Rhonda signed the contract and pushed it toward Cox. "I don't want that. Take it out to my secretary Doris. She'll notarize. Then they'll need to swear you in but you can do that in D.C. I'd offer you congratulations and wish you good luck, but I think you had a hand in setting all of this up. Now get out of my office, "Mr. Irons"." Rhonda picked up the contract and felt a flash of irritation. Cox was trying to ruin her good mood by insinuating that she'd done something nefarious to get this appointment. While it was true, she didn't want to let it go. Physically Cox was no match for her. However he was also a mutant with the ability to control gravity around him and his own density. Rhonda was pretty sure she could kick him in the throat before he could drop her with his power or turn ethereal. She caught a flicker in Cox's eyes and knew he'd anticipated her and was ready. Rhonda gave him Scott's lopsided grin, "I'd have to respect you to give a shit about what you think, Mr. Cox. I'd also be careful about what you say to me and about me. I know that you only recently became the... director. You see Dr. Debbie White and I have had several long talks. About, life, careers, how it feels to go from being female to male... I don't think you want the gist of our conversations to become common knowledge." Rhonda saw him flinch and it was enough. She turned on her heel and marched out of the office. 'After Doris takes care of this, I think I'll use an Agency teleporter to get to D.C.. No point in going back to Scott's apartment. There isn't anything there I want. Although, there are a few loose ends that need attending...' *** The bright sunlight reflected off the waters of the Potomac dancing and dazzling the eye. Spring in D.C. is always beautiful and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom creating a riot of white and pink. Anyone less jaded would have slowed down while walking through the park to enjoy the display. The woman wrapped in her dark rain coat ignored everything except the need to get to her destination. She rounded a curve in the sidewalk and saw the park bench. The view of the water from the bench would be perfect. There was a person already waiting. She got closer and then let out a slight gasp. Even though he was wearing a long grey trench coat, over what she assumed was a suit, and had a hat pulled low over his eyes she recognized the, "Tiger of the Senate." He was surprisingly young to already have so much power and such a reputation. 'Why would he need a reporter?' She pressed the record button on her phone and hurried forward. The man gave her a clear open look and flashed his perfect white teeth in a brilliant smile. "Please have a seat." "Of course." They didn't bother to shake hands which didn't surprise Lois. That sort of contact could have consequence in a world filled with mutants. Instead she waited, not attempting small talk, and looked out at the slow moving water. Unnoticed by Lois a small trace of smoke escaped her pocket as her phone shorted out. "I've been following your work. You write concisely, efficiently, nothing is wasted and nothing is left out. If words were knives then your stories are razor blades. I respect that." "I-I didn't know you followed my work." "The piece you did on the mutant gang down in Miami? Brilliant. Too bad you weren't around to cover the tragedy in New Mexico." "It was over before I could get there. The MAA handled it very quickly." "Yes, one of their elite teams, I believe, dealt with it." "SMAC, Special Mutant Affairs Command, we've heard rumors... No one knows anything about it or what it does. It seemed like they messed up in New Mexico but less than a day later they caught... what was his name?" "Soulsnatcher." "Yes." Lois shuddered. "What a terrible criminal. To pull the souls from his victims and then able to assume their form and if mutants, their abilities?" "He didn't actually take their souls. It was their life energy and a psychic imprint. I'm hearing from my sources the man is absolutely insane. He's absorbed so many people that he doesn't know who he is or what's going on. He's a slave to his hunger." Lois nodded. "Did you get that from the Agent who lead the team? Agent Irons is his name, right?" "No, I'm on the oversight committee that manages the MAA. However I've got a copy of the report he filed, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to see you today." "Oh?" "What would you say, if I told you Agent Scott Irons has been reassigned from the field to D.C. to run the MAA Legislative Liaison Department? And that I could arrange for you to be the first person to interview him. With recent events the MAA Director feels that it's time for the SMAC teams to come out of the black ops world and to the extent that's practical, let the public know what these heroes do to protect us." Lois's heart started racing with excitement but she kept all emotion from her face. "Why would you offer me such a scoop? There are dozens of senior reporters and I do written media, not live interviews." The man flashed another boyish grin, "There are a few reasons. You have a face and figure for TV. I think that's a new opportunity just waiting for you. Next, this will be the first engagement with the press, officially that is, MAA would like to control it. Using this format allows use to have an editorial review, to make sure nothing classified gets out. Lastly, I can make this happen with a phone call to Director Hoover, but I'll want something in return." "What's that?" Lois knew this was coming. Nothing this good came for free. The Senator reached into a pocket and pulled out a thumb drive. Cautiously Lois took it. It seemed far too heavy for such a tiny device. She put it in the pocket of her coat and waited. "There are several files on the drive. Each file is named for a member of Congress, or a Judge, or a Governor. When you open a file you'll find all kinds of information. Mistresses, bank statements documenting illegal payments, e-mail traffic with discussions about selling influence... I could go on and on but I'll let you see for yourself. Some of it surprised even me. In payment for the scoop on a group of true American patriots, I'd like you to take down another group. These aren't heroes." "Why not go to the D.C. police or the FBI?" "Ha! Have you been paying attention to the news? Half of the men and woman on that device have connections with a senior member of both the Justice Department and the FBI. No, the best way to do this is to get it out. The light of public scrutiny is the only way to take out these cockroaches." "I-Is this information dangerous?" "Smart girl. Yes. Very much so. That's why, if you agree, I'll be sending over a small team to protect you." "How do you have those kinds of resources?" At this the Senator reached over and took her hand before she could react and Lois felt a tingle rush through her body. "Because there is another group, one you can't speak of... ever. They are the Shadow Lords and they've been arranging things, for the public good, in this country for a very long time. Now, do you agree to our deal? If you help us I promise we'll help you." "Help me... do what?" "Achieve your deepest dream. To be a powerful news anchor and then eventually to run a news organization. I can see it all... and it can be yours if you promise your loyalty to us." "I agree." Lois didn't hesitate. Opportunities like this came along only once or twice in a life time. As soon as she said the words a tingling sensation raced through her. She wanted to pull away but couldn't move. Then it was over. "Excellent." The Senator sounded pleased. "I think you should leave now. It wouldn't do for us to be seen together." "Of course, my lord." Lois stood up and paused, "My Lord, I want a copy of the report you mentioned. I'll need it as research before my interview with Agent Irons." "Agreed." Lois turned around and hurried away unaware of the way she'd phrased her comment. The man shook his head. That level of psionic control would slip a little as her mind adjusted to her new reality. A reality where anyone with the right code word could command her to do anything including kill herself. Once he was sure she was out of sight his form blurred and shifted. Soon where Senator Johnson had been sitting an elderly Asian looking man stood up. "I hate wearing that fools face. Although, now that Charles wears his skin I guess I need to stop thinking of him as a moron. Charles is no one's fool." Then he chuckled at how that piece of trickery had played out. CC had thought the mutant he was swapping to Senator Johnson's body was the one Director Cox had picked. Instead, Cox's secretary had switched the name. After CC's death when Cox had followed up it looked like CC had been killed before the swap occurred. Cox was smart and well trained with a suspicious mind. It would look odd if he were to suddenly die. Still, they might need to come up with a back up plan for him. The man stood up, surprisingly spry for his age. "And what a wonder to discover that Johnson was actually a mutant. A low level telepath who was using his power very subtly to increase his own influence. Charles was overjoyed at not having to become a normal human." He shook his head, "You'd think going from eighty to his late mid-thirties would be enough." *** Scott lay awake in bed. The mattress was thin but the missing comfort wasn't what was bothering him. He kept playing the events over in his brain. There were so many little things that didn't add up. It all started with Rhonda reporting Hazard and switching to plan B. He'd been watching the news for most of the last day. There wasn't much else to do while in his little cell. There was nothing about Hazard in the Pacific Northwest. That was odd since if he was here and active something should have happened. No one knew much about him. He'd show up and pull off an outrageous crime and then vanish. The news had been dominated by headlines of the massacre in New Mexico and the mutant hero who'd stopped the rampaging evil. It had been surreal for Scott Rhonda's impromptu press conferences were run over and over again. The speculation about SMAC was intense and Scott knew it was only a matter of time until the government opened the doors, at least a little, into the world of mutant special operations and law enforcement. Scott had been mesmerized by the stories. Then there was the way Rhonda treated him and the wink from Kevin. They'd put on a show for someone. Either that or Rhonda had wanted to see if Scott was going to blow cover due to the PDC. At this he touched the device. The hard cold metal under his tiny questing fingers sent a shiver down his spin. The collar seemed to big but he was sure that was just due to his new perspective. Scott's mind continued to try to add up the events of the last several days. The way the operation had gone down felt off. There should have been a backup team. Even if Hazard had been spotted, something Scott was starting to doubt, there were enough agents in SMAC to cover that event and free up Rhonda and Kevin. Normally, within a day there should have been a face-to-face contact with either Rhonda or Kevin. Instead all contact had been electronic. Scott had been expecting an order to meet up so he and Rhonda switch. Instead the order to go deep and authorization to take any action required to maintain cover. He'd also just seen the news, a footnote to the main broad caste, about a mutant member of the Mutant Affairs Agency who'd been shot by a sniper at long range. The picture of CC on the cable news broad caste had caused Scott to sit up. He'd felt shocked, then nauseated, then enraged. "Was that why I was told to go into deep cover? Because they didn't have a way to swap me out?" Scott got up and started pacing around his cell. 'Rhonda loved being me while we were training. Based on what I've seen, both on TV and here she's assumed my life and it looks like she's adapted. No, she's more than adapted, I think she loves having my body and living my life. I bet she made up the Hazard sighting so she could switch to plan B and put me in Cindy. Then she had to be put in my body.' Rage washed through Scott. He had no way to prove any of that but his gut told him he was right. Rhonda had manipulated all of them. With nothing else to do Scott returned to the bunk and sat down in the lotus position and tried to calm his mind. He used one of the techniques CC had taught him to meditate. Scott realized that he still felt guilty about releasing Soulsnatcher on the world. The damage he'd caused, the lives he'd destroyed, it was a disaster. A disaster that should have been avoided. He'd warned SMAC but they'd done nothing. Why? 'Because Rhonda needed a disaster? Or because she didn't want to admit that we were in contact? Why did all the contact numbers change? Why did my login get deleted? It makes no sense. Even if she wanted my life why would she allow all those people to get hurt' Then the image of Rhonda talking to reporters. How the news was spinning the story, "hero" mutant saves hundreds of lives. "She wanted to expose SMAC and accelerate her career there wouldn't have been a better opportunity." Then he thought about his arrest. It was the only thing that made sense. Bringing Soulsnatcher in like that and showing up in front of all those agents many who would easily recognize him... Rhonda had no choice, she had to arrest him or blow his cover. Too many of the Agents on scene didn't know Scott was one of theirs. "Still, why haven't they gotten me out or made contact and given me a SITREP?" Earlier that day he'd been informed that the Australian Ambassador had called Director of MAA to thank him for capturing "Carnifex." This had included a request to hold her until they could arrange to pick her up and return her to Australia to stand trial. "Is there something the Agency needs me to do down-under?" Scott couldn't think of anything. However, they'd been trying to get after the terrorist group in the Philippines. Maybe this was a step toward that goal. About two hours ago a guard had come by letting Scott know it was ten minutes to lights out. The cell had a small dim light over the sink which was next to a toilet. High up there was a window with thick bars. Scott's mind ran through ways he could escape. He could probably rip the sink off the wall and pull out the pipes. If they were metal instead of PVC he could use that on the bars. Or he could try to pull the bars out of the wall. The pressure would destroy the skin on his hands, they'd heal. Once through the window he could fly up and away. Then they'd either detonate the collar or it would lose signal and detonate on its own. That wouldn't kill him but all the skin around his neck would be shredded. Cindy didn't have any healing powers so it would leave a nasty scar. For some reason this fact was suddenly very important to him. He didn't want an ugly scar around his swan like neck. Still considering his options Scott heard a click and the door opened. "Carnifex, Rhonda?" Scott stood up and took a step forward and stopped. Taser stood in the doorway. Scott thought he recognized the voice but since the man was covered in black spec ops clothes with a black balaclava over his face Scott couldn't be sure. "Taser?" The guy nodded. "Hurry. We've got a one minute window to get down and out of the cell block. Then the sensors come back up. They're in a maintenance re-boot right now." Scott touched the PDC. "Can you remove this?" Taser tossed Scott a device that looked like a key fob and backed out of the room. Scott pressed it to the collar and pushed the button. The device sent an encrypted key into the collar and there was a beep then a click as it opened. Instantly, Scott pushed his shield out covering his skin and then the collar. He floated it to the bed and then snapped it closed and pulled out the key. No reason to leave evidence behind. Not bothering to walk Scott floated two inches off the ground and shot out of the cell. Taser had already jogged to the far end of the hall and was waiting by the door. Scott paused. There was a cell directly across from his. He knew who must be in it "What are you going to do with him?" "I don't know. Back into a hole I guess. Why do you care? We've got to move." The door to the cell block was now open and Taser was on the other side. "Fuck that." Scott thought of all the people Soulsnatcher had killed. He reached out with his power shaping the shield into the form of a blade that was only a few microns thick. He slipped the blade into the crack between the door and the wall and slashed down against the metal bolt holding the door closed. He cut it easily and pulled the door open with his power. Soulsnatcher was sound asleep on his back. Scott could see him from the doorway. With a quick thought encased him in a form fitting shield. Holding his body still Scott broke his neck. Then after a moment he released the shield. The smell of defecation was strong as the corpse voided its bowels. Scott closed the door and using a shield bent the hinges slightly to keep it closed. Then he turned and flew as fast as he could down the hall. He just made it through the door when lights started to come up behind him. Taser closed the door and waited... listening to the voice on the earpiece. Then he looked over at Scott. "What did you do?" "What needed doing. Let's get out of here." Taser turned around and jogged to a door two thirds of the way down the hallway. They were through it in a flash and Scott saw it was a set of stairs. Taser paused and pointed up. "I can't go with you any further. The stairs lead up to the roof. There is an access door for maintenance to get onto the roof. The roof has pressure sensors, motion detectors, and thermal imaging. I'd advise going straight up." "What about you?" "I've got a way out, but I need to go down. Oh, this is for you." Taser handed Scott a smart phone and a battery. "Good luck, Rhonda." Then he turned and pounded down the steps. Scott stood there feeling stunned. "Rhonda? What the fuck." Scott grimaced, for a moment he thought about chasing Taser down to find out why he'd called him Rhonda. Then he shook his head, long hair swishing around his shoulders. Using his power Scott flew up the steps stopping at the locked and alarmed door. He knew that if he opened it an alarm would go off. Maybe he should wait to give Taser more time. He seemed confident he had a way out. A way that he could use but by implication Scott couldn't. "I guess I'm still undercover." Scott looked more closely at the door and saw the sensor. A pair of contact plates right next to the door handle. If the plates separated there would be a break in current and that would trip the alarm. "Too easy." Scott shaped a shield into a blade with a saw tooth edge and a very sharp point. He drove it slowly through the door and then used it to cut a circular hole big enough for him to fly through head first. Holding the door in place Scott focused on the shield around his body. It extended about a half a centimeter from his skin. Adjusting the frequency he caused light to bend around it. Then he adjusted it to make sure none of his body heat escaped and the surface of the shield matched that air temperature. He slowly pulled the cutout from the door and quietly laid it flat on the floor. Then he floated into the air and rotated so he was face down parallel to the floor with his hands extended above his head. Now in position he slowly slipped through the hole. Once in the open Scott simply flew up. He picked up speed as he gained greater distance. Once he figured he was a mile up Scott turned and getting his bearings flew toward Seattle and his apartment. "If I have to stay undercover I want a few things. Like my computer." Feeling strong Scott started accelerating. He wasn't sure how fast he could fly but objects on the ground raced by. The speed, the freedom, it felt glorious after being locked up for more than a day. It normally took him forty minutes to drive up to the Farm. He made the trip in about fifteen. His luxury apartment was the only apartment on the top of the five story building. Half the roof was his apartment the other half had been open for his use and he'd put down some Astro turf carpet, added a picnic table, lawn furniture, a hot tub, a grill, refrigerator, and a large outdoor flat screen. Scott landed next to the refrigerator. He opened it and grinned when he saw it was still full of beer. Rhonda must not have spent much time here. He floated a micro-brew out causing the top to pop and snagged it out of the air. He took a long pull and signed. "Damn I've missed that." "I hope you don't mind, I'm one ahead of you." Startled Scott spun around ready to attack. Standing up from the lawn chair, Scott would have sworn was empty, was Director Cox. He held up a small device. "This is a Chameleon Field Generator. That's why you didn't see me when you landed. We have a mutant who's able to create things like this... they defy science, yet work. Of course we can't replicate them. So each device has to be created by him therefore the supply is limited. Don't ask me to explain how he does it. He's a cross between B, C, and D-class... we may have to come up with a new category for him." Scott gave the director a level look then took a second long drink. He floated another beer out of the fridge and shut the door. Cox moved to the outdoor table and sat down and lifted his own beer for a deep drink. Scott sat down across from him. After a moment he fished out the cell phone and battery. He placed each on the table and lifted a single auburn brow. "It's not like I wasn't expecting you. Or at least some type of message. Particularly, after Taser gave me this. I mean, really. I have to put the battery in the phone. The battery needed to go home in order for the phone to work. Meaning, you needed me to return to my home in order for me to continue to operate." "It could have meant the Farm.' "Since I was already at the Farm, in the brig, I figured this is what you meant. After all, Agency cell phones are the most secure communication devices in the world. There was no reason to give it to me with the battery out." "Well done." Cox took a drink. "Agent Irons, report." The three words had a calming affect on Scott. Without emotion he started with the shift to plan "B" and moved through the events that led up to meeting the director. He also included the things that didn't add up and his suspicions. Director Cox didn't interrupt. He just listened. "There are a few things you should know. First, Rhonda's human body is dead. We shipped it to the prison using false records. At the time we thought it was the safest place to keep Carnifex." Scott nodded, "I didn't see her, but I thought it likely." "CC was murdered about ten days ago." "I saw the news. How?" "Sniper. Long range. Trained. The only lead we've got is the office where the shooter setup. We haven't found the weapon and the shooter egressed without leaving a trace. Nothing there indicates a mutant." "Fuck. That means I'm stuck?" Ever since he'd seen the news report he knew he was stuck but to hear the Director say it made it reality. "I'm afraid so. Although, I asked Techno, the mutant who created this," Cox tapped the CFG, "to look into creating a device capable of swapping a pair of minds into each other's body." Cox shrugged. "He might create something, or not. His gift is... sporadic." "What do you want me to do?" Cox finished his beer and then looked at the second beer sitting by Scott's elbow. "Get your own." Grinning Cox got up and grabbed two more and returned to the table. He popped one open and took a drink. "I agree with you. I think Rhonda set you up to be Cindy. I have long suspected there is a secret group working behind the scenes in our government. I think she's part of that group. A shadow government. She was too young to run a team. But Director Hoover ordered me to give her a chance." Scott emptied his beer and opened the second one. "Then the mission goes sideways, but Rhonda comes out on top. She broke every rule and went public, just in time to fight and defeat one of the most powerful evil mutants we've ever seen. Now she's a hero, the face of SMAC, and untouchable." "Why untouchable? And she didn't bring Soulsnatcher in... I did. Everyone on the strike team can attest to that, particularly Seraph. She was there and saw me take him down." "Yeah, well, Seraph is dead. We found her this morning. The forensic team thinks poison. No one else saw you take Soulsnatcher down, you just arrived with him collard. I'm also starting to think Thirdeye is part of this cabal which leaves Taser." "That doesn't explain why she's untouchable." "She's untouchable because she is now running the Legislative Liaison Department, is a peer of mine, and works directly for Director Hoover. Yes, she's been promoted... again. Although, the records indicate that it's "Mr. Scott Irons" since Rhonda Torres is officially dead, killed in the line of duty. My source inside Hoover's office said that this appointment came at the behest of Senator Johnson." He shook his head, "She now has cover from the MAA director, a cabinet official who sits on the National Security Council, and the ranking member of the Senate oversight committee for Mutant Affairs. So, yeah, she-no-HE is untouchable." He took another drink and added, "If CC had been able to complete his mission then we might have avoided all of this." "What mission?" "I sent CC to D.C.. He was supposed to swap Senator Johnson into a high class call girl. The call girl would have gone into my old boss, Brenda Taylor. She's in her eighties, was one of the original generation of mutants, her abilities let her fly. She was once head of the FBI Mutant Investigations department before it was shut down and re-instated as SMAC." "Why would you do that to some poor prostitute? Turn her into an old woman?" For a moment Scott felt sad for the call girl. "I'm glad it didn't work out for the whore's sake." "We wouldn't have left her in Brenda's body. Just long enough to find a criminal on death row to swap her into and set up in witness protection. At that point we would have made Brenda's death look natural." Then the director shrugged, "It doesn't matter now. CC was killed before he made contact with Brenda." Suddenly, Scott remembered what Taser had said. "Why is Taser calling me Rhonda?" Cox looked away for a moment. "I ordered CC to modify his memories before he left for D.C.. I wanted to keep this operation to the absolute minimum people with a required need-to-know. Taser could act as your handler thinking you were Rhonda as easily as he'd be able to do it thinking you were Scott. Easier really since thinking of his buddy Scott as the hot red-head would have messed with his mind." "So the only people who know who I really am are you, me, and Rhonda?" "Yes. And Taser thinks you're Rhonda. To the rest of the world you're Cindy Snow." They lapsed into silence. Scott finished his second beer and went for a third. After drinking half he looked back at Cox. "What now?" "I'd cover up your escape, if I could, but the Australians have already been notified. We'll use the story that Soulsnatcher tried to escape and was killed during the attempt. Oh, by the way, thanks for that. He was too dangerous to be allowed to live but I couldn't order anyone to do what you did." Cox tipped his beer in salute to Scott and took a drink before continuing. "The story will be that in the confusion you got away. That's the best I can do." "Orders?" "Go to D.C.. Dig. We need to find out more about this Shadow Government. Right now everything is circumstantial." Cox shook his head frustration in his voice. "The phone Taser gave you wasn't just a signal to meet me here. It isn't a normal phone. I've loaded it with data you can use. It's secure and uses biometrics. When you power it up for the first time press your finger to the screen. It's already been paired to Cindy Snow. There are bank accounts, access numbers, as well as the software needed to create your own pass ports and IDs. I also suggest changing your look. Right now you look like a walking wet-dream. Something a little more subtle, sophisticated, would be good." "Director, you dirty old man, I'm wearing a prison jumpsuit." Scott couldn't resist a feminine giggle, and the urge to tease the director, men were just so single minded! Cox grinned and continued, "I've started to form a small team. Taser's on board. I'll introduce you to others as well once you're in place." He shook his head, "I don't know who these people are, but Rhonda is one of them. We need to focus on her and Director Hoover to start. Then look for anything odd or anything that might connect them." Scott stood up, "I'll need a good telepath. A teleporter would be helpful." "Feel free to recruit anyone you can. The more mutants we have not associated with the government or one of the three letter agencies the better." "Okay." Scott headed toward the back patio door. "Are you going inside?" "I am. There are a few things I want." Cox stood up. "Keep it light. Be out quickly. My advice is to cleanly cut your ties to your old life. You aren't Scott Irons and will never be again. I'm sorry for that, and for everything you've lost." Then after pausing added, "Eventually, we'll get Cindy Snow either cleared or her crimes commuted." Scott gestured down at his body and then floated into the air. "I've gained a lot. More than I'd have thought to be honest. I'm far more powerful and to be honest, I think I prefer being a woman." The director looked a little troubled but nodded and then turned around and walked to the edge of the building stepping off into space. Scott knew he had power over gravity and watching him float down out of sight was the first time he'd ever seen the Director use his power. Scott picked up the empty bottles dropped them in the trash before hurrying inside. Scott looked around the apartment that had once been his sanctuary and realized that it no longer felt like home. It felt off. Everything was a little bigger than he remembered. Scott floated up until he was eight inches above the floor and nodded. "Wow, the point of view really changes the way the room looks." The mystery solved Scott quickly started collecting the things he wanted to keep. He picked up his laptop and threw it in a bag. He added a few pictures. Opened his private safe and cleaned out the money and deed to his father's farm. He left the guns since they no longer offered much use. Not since he'd figured out that he could create a shield the size and shape of a bullet and send it at high velocity to about a hundred yards. Then he hurried to the guest bedroom. He kept several sets of women's clothes. Over the years they'd come in handy for unexpected guests. Most wouldn't fit him. He did find stretchy pants, a t-shirt, along with a hoodie. Sadly, the prison underwear was the best fit. He stuffed the jumpsuit into the bag and then left the apartment. Veiling he flew into the night heading for the storage facility. It was so late that it was starting to become early when he landed. Scott felt physically and emotionally exhausted. Rhonda's betrayal and the news of a Shadow Government pulling the strings behind the scenes was enough to make his head hurt. The fight to take down Soulsnatcher, the escape, committing murder, and learning that he was now trapped in Cindy's sex-pot body probably for the rest of his life... it was all just... mentally and emotionally draining. Scott checked his power level. This was becoming a habit that he didn't plan to change any time soon. He saw he was getting low but not desperately low. The priority now was sleep. Scott unlocked the pad- lock flipped the industrial handle up and rolled the sliding door up revealing the van with all of Cindy's things. He shut the door and then used his power to latch it closed and lock it. It was pitch black in the storage unit so he adjusted the shield over his eyes allowing him to see into the IR spectrum. It didn't help much since everything was cold. He stumbled to the van and fumbled the door handle open. The dome light came on and he climbed inside. Everything was as he'd left it. He turned on the battery powered Coleman Lamp and shut the door. Wanting nothing more than sleep Scott unrolled a sleeping bag and dug out a pillow. He crawled inside and turned off the lamp. The darkness felt comfortable and safe. In a few seconds Scott was sound asleep. *** Epilogue *** Scott looked over at the mousy brunette seated across from him and sipped his coffee. It was hard to believe it had been two weeks since he'd seen her last. She was dressed in a light sundress and sandals and had applied makeup, for the first time since Scott knew her. She adjusted her sunglasses and took a sip of the mocha leaving bright pink lipstick on the rim. "This is nice." "Yeah, I found this coffee shop a week ago; good coffee, a nice view, and decent privacy." He gestured at the way the room had been set up with high dividers and plants screening off each area. The cozy nook they were in held a pair of small tables and two booths. They were the only customers in this area. Business had slowed down after the lunch crowd had returned to work. "You said in your note that you're a friend of Cindy's and you've got information about her?" Scott looked around making sure the table, screened off by plants, offered sufficient privacy before he responded. He glanced down at the mercenary who he'd come to trust and took a deep breath. "I did, Cyber, but I lied. I am Cindy." With that he triggered the transformation. Sofie's long blonde hair shifted into Cindy's auburn locks while Scott's whole body shrank going from Sofie's six foot frame to Cindy's five foot six height. As his body shrank his chest inflated. Sofie's high firm breasts supported by her athletic body gave her a classic beach volleyball body, while Cindy's tits were larger, fuller, and heavier. With the exception of her boobs Cindy's whole body was smaller and slightly softer than Sofie's body but every bit as thin. In seconds the transformation was over and Scott gasped at how tightly his clothes constricted his chest. He resisted the urge to reach into his dress and adjust his luscious orbs. Instead, he looked up enjoying the shock on Cyber's face. "I have a limited shapeshifting gift." "Oh my god... Cindy. I'm so glad to see you." Cyber moved around the table and gave Scott a hug. Their tits smushed together and Scott started to feel his body respond. When Kelly Donahue let go and returned to her seat she was glowing with happiness. "I'm glad you made it out of Seattle. You just vanished when you were tailing Soulsnatcher. We were worried that he got you before that mutant, Agent Irons, captured him. Then I saw that they'd arrested you. I was so mad about that. I tried to talk Dreadnaught and Ironmonger into helping me break you out. I mean what's one more jail break, right. They insisted we go after the Fists to let them know they can't double cross mercs, they said it was bad for business. After that you just vanished." Scott wanted to grind his perfect teeth at the machinegun like way Kelly talked and as soon as she paused for a breath he jumped in. "I'm going to shift back. These clothes don't really fit this body and I think I'm on a wanted list or two." Cyber giggled and nodded at that. "Yeah, you are on the SMAC most wanted but down near the bottom, number 48, I think." Scott thought of Sofie and how she tasted and suddenly everything started to tingle and he felt himself getting taller and the constriction around his chest eased. After a few seconds he sighed. He then took a moment to adjust his clothes before looking over at Cyber. "That's pretty cool. I love my talent but it would be nice to snap my fingers and, bang, be someone else. I think your normal look is prettier." "Thanks." Scott took a sip of the bitter black coffee and tried not to wince. He loved black coffee but he was finding out each of his forms had different tastes. Sofie loved sweets. "What happed after you guys hit the Fists? Did Iron and Dread stay in the States?" Cyber shook her head. "No. Well, Dreadnaught is American but he wanted a vacation... someplace warm he said. Ironmonger was headed back to Scotland. I mean there isn't much reason for any of us to work now, is there?" Scott cocked his head to one side, "I don't understand. I thought the Fists stiffed you three." "Oh, you don't know? Hehehe. I got past their AIs, eventually. The Fists of Anarchy are now penniless. I took twenty million split it four ways and then sent it through a dozen blind corporations. Laundered it through an unnumbered Swiss account and dropped it into a shell corporation in the Cayman Islands. After that... Well, it doesn't matter." Cyber pulled a smart phone from her pocket and sat it on the table. "Do you have a phone?" Scott nodded and pulled out a burner he'd picked up rather than the special phone the Agency had given him. Cyber held her hand over Scott's phone and electricity arched between her hand and the phone. Then she looked up at Scott and grinned. "Done. You have the account and pin. You are now five million dollars richer." Scott felt stunned. Just like that, with his alternate shapes, and the ability to acquire more, he could simply vanish. 'No, you've got work to do.' As tempting as it was he let it go. It was a good safety net though if things went sideways. "So why are you here? You could be on holiday too?" Cyber shrugged. "I got your note. Getting to D.C. was easy enough. Besides, what are besties for? Now what was it you wanted to discuss?" Scott thought about how to approach it but then gave up and decided to be direct. "I've been contacted and recruited by SMAC. They liked how I helped with taking down Soulsnatcher. I've been told I can build a team of private contractors. A team to handle things that SMAC can't. Interested?" "Does it pay well?" "Probably not." "Will it be dangerous?" "Yes, very much so." "Will we travel to exotic places and get to use our powers to do terrible things in the name of the greater good?" "For sure." At this both women burst into a fit of giggles. After they calmed down Kelly finished her drink and then considered Scott's offer. "Because of my power I've always operated outside the law. If this is an opportunity to get a pardon for past crimes and a fresh start, then I'm in." Scott nodded and reached out to shake Kelly's hand. Her soft warm hand sent another thrill through Scott. "Welcome to the team." Then he leaned forward, "For your first assignment there is a man by the name of Mr. Scott Irons. I'm going to need your skills to learn everything we can about him. *** Rhonda watched the incredibly sexy Latina stir. She was naked lying on top of the bed and in for a surprise or two. Rhonda felt her cock twitch and grinned in anticipation of the fun she was about to have at the Senator's expense. She'd only been in D.C. for a month but was enjoying the power that came with her new position along with the luxury secure apartment. One of her perks had allowed her to take possession of the Senator "rescuing" him from the stable where he'd been working since becoming a female high class whore. Rhonda didn't know which Agent had been given Senator Johnson's body, but she realized that Director Cox thought the swap never happened. That meant the Shadows had moved changing the name CC had been given. It also meant they had someone in Director Cox's office. Rhonda knew it could only be one of three people and she was pretty sure she'd figure it out, sooner or later. Rhonda had watched the tapes they'd made of the Senator waking up in his sexy new body. His reaction had been priceless. Then Eric Johnson's new handler had entered the room and Rhonda had almost creamed herself as she watched him put the former Senator through her paces. The controls CC had instilled worked perfectly. 'Too bad he had to die. CC would have made a great addition to the Shadow.' The Senator still stunned by his sudden change of circumstance had been unable to control the carnal needs of his new twenty-four year old female body. Needs that CC had so cleverly boosted. The handler had him screaming in pleasure within minutes. Watching the videos of him being trained made Rhonda determined to own the former man. The idea of such a powerful virile man, now trapped in such a sexy body, addicted to his new feminine needs, and willing to service Rhonda's every masculine whim... it had been too much of a temptation. Rhonda had contacted the Shadow Lord she reported to and made the request. The stipulation had been that if they gave her to Rhonda the former Eric Johnson would be Rhonda's responsibility. Rhonda had quickly agreed. The tiny woman stirred on the bed, she was naked, and Rhonda couldn't take her eyes off the Senator's shaved pussy. She'd never seen such a sweet looking cunt. Slowly, Rhonda moved onto the bed her cock and balls heavy between her legs, a happy reminder of her new power, her new authority, and her new pleasure. She spread Eric's legs. Rhonda had read the report on the blocks and compulsions CC had placed within the Senator's mind but she didn't think she'd need any of them. Rhonda thought about the rumors of the manly Senator, how he used to sleep with his interns. He was known all over D.C. for his voracious sexual appetite. Well, he still had a voracious sexual appetite, only he was now on the receiving end. The Senator's tiny, busty, body... an undocumented beauty... Rhonda didn't think it was possible for her cock to get any harder. Rhonda moved forward until she was stretched out on top of the soft female body and started kissing her neck while fondling Eric's breasts. The total power and authority she had over this woman was intoxicating. Rhonda felt the Senator move a soft moan escaping his puffy lips. Rhonda moved lower teasing the Senator's boobs with his mouth while using one hand to spread Eric's lower lips searching for the little hood of flesh. At the same time Rhonda empathically projected lust, arousal, and pleasure into the tiny body. Instantly, she felt the woman beneath her respond. Eric moaned louder and spread her legs lifting her pelvis toward Rhonda's questing masculine fingers. The petals of Eric's inner flower opened and she tried to wrap her legs around Rhonda's waist. "Ohhhhhh, w-what are you doing?" The soft alto had a slight Spanish accent. Rhonda couldn't believe how thorough CC had been with the Senator. The woman's eyes fluttered open. They were confused and filled with lust. "Showing you what it means to be a woman, Senator." Rhonda had two fingers in the woman's pussy and Rhonda wasn't sure if Eric even knew that he was lifting his hips, pressing his sex into each stroke. "W-Why... I-I... Ohhhhh..." The brown eyes were clouded with lust but for a moment Rhonda saw what she assumed was a flash of comprehension. Eric knew that Rhonda knew who he'd been and even with that knowledge Eric continued to press his hot pussy into Rhonda's hand. Rhonda teased Eric's large brown nipple with her tongue and teeth enjoying the slightly rubbery texture and Eric's little gasps. Then Rhonda pulled her digits out and the Senator moaned. "N-No, p-please, don't stop." Rhonda guided the helmet of her cock to his pussy spreading his inner lips and feeling the delightful electric sensation of sensitive skin on skin. "Beg." Eric's brown eyes focused on Rhonda's blue orbs. There was a moment of defiance and then lust replaced rebelliousness as his male ego failed under the combined assault of feminine need and Rhonda's projective empathy. "Please, I'm begging you. Please fuck me." "What should you call me?" "M-Master?" Rhonda nodded feeling thrilled at her success and slowly pushed into the Senator. Eric's cunt was so tight that Rhonda had to work in and out feeding the former Senator her cock a centimeter at a time. The sensation of stretching Eric's tight pussy along with the wide eyed look and the way Eric's tiny fists grabbed handfuls of sheet... the way he tossed his head from side to side trying to deny the intense pleasure... it was almost enough to make Rhonda cum. Almost. Then she bottomed out. The head of her dick pressed into Eric's cervix and her ball sack slapped pleasantly against the Senator's full round ass cheeks. Rhonda felt like the world was complete... Perfect. 'This is who I was born to be.' She thought. 'I didn't realize that I should have been a man, not until I became one.' Then she slowly started pumping in and out of Eric. "Life doesn't get better than this, does it Eric?" "N-No, master." "Do you love being a woman, being my woman?" "Yes, god a thousand times... yes." "Good, because I plan to keep you as my mistress, my little sex toy, for a very long time. You'd like that, right." "If it means you'll do this to me every day, then a thousand times... YESSSSSssssssss!" As Eric screamed his submission his inner muscles started to clamp down spasmodically on Rhonda's cock. Then Rhonda felt her balls pull up and her cock start to twitch. Instead of holding back Rhonda filled the Senator with long jets of sperm. For a moment Rhonda felt a sense of vertigo her whole body clenched in the most intense masculine orgasm she'd ever felt. It was like every bit of vitality along with her seed was being pulled out in an enormous rush of power and lust. She closed her eyes while arching her back, savoring this perfect moment, and missed the glowing light pouring out of the tiny woman's eyes. Then it was over and Rhonda gasped. Panting she felt her body's amazing regeneration ability kick in and chuckled. She opened her eyes and looked down at the dazed women beneath her. "Oh, you are precious. I may have to keep you for a very long time if you can make me feel like that." Rhonda pulled out of Eric with a soft wet popping sound. The Senator had passed out from exhaustion and carnal bliss. The look of happy satisfaction on his cute feminine face caused Rhonda to grin. She climbed off the bed her large flaccid cock wetly slapped against her thick masculine thighs. "This is the life, fucking powerful men, trapped and helpless inside sexy women, dominating and controlling them. Too bad CC isn't around. I can think of several arrogant pricks who would make lovely fuck toys." Rhonda grinned at the thought. "Still, even without CC the opportunity to make deals with the real power players here, and not getting shot at... yeah. Life doesn't get any better." Rhonda grabbed a bathrobe before leaving the bedroom. She headed to her study and settled down behind her desk with a glass of Bourbon on the rocks. As perfect as life was there were still a few things that needed to be dealt with. Scott was still out there, wanted, but on the loose. She was puzzled by the fact he'd been able to avoid even being spotted. Then there was Taser. He hadn't tried to contact Rhonda, believing Rhonda was actually Scott and that he'd betrayed SMAC by going public, and that he'd done it for personal gain. Which in a way was true. Taser still thought Rhonda was in Carnifex's body and that Carnifex was now a SMAC agent. The whole situation made Rhonda want to laugh. In Taser's mind Scott was a traitor and Rhonda was a hero. "Eventually, I'm going to have to do something about Taser. And Director Cox. Once they're gone no one will know the truth." Then Rhonda saw that she had a message from the new Senator Johnson. She clicked on the email and read the note. Scott, Did you see the piece in the Times by Lois? She just dropped another bomb. Evidently the Chair of the House Armed Services Committee has been taking campaign payments from the Venezuelan government. He also has a Cuban mistress, a woman in the employ of the Cuban government. He's done. Do you have any suggestions for his replacement on the committee?" Sincerely, Eric "Amazing. My Shadow Lord just told me last week that this was going to happen and now it's done." Rhonda quickly replied with the name that she'd been given; young firebrand of a woman from New York. The Shadow wanted her on the committee so she would be on the committee. Then Rhonda searched for the NYT story and when she read it she couldn't help laughing. "It's hard to believe that Lois could write such a scathing piece. She seemed so nice, almost like a fan, when she interviewed me." Of course the interview had lead to dinner and drinks. That had lead to a night cap at Lois's apartment. That had turned into a marathon of sex and a reporter willing to do anything Rhonda asked. Rhonda sipped her drink enjoying the fiery effect of the whisky before moving on to the next task. She had learned that there was a different Shadow Lord for every state and that eleven Shadow Lords lived in D.C.. They'd each carved out different areas of responsibility and mostly worked together, although not always. "I need to get invited to the next conclave. That's the first step to becoming a Disciple and then a Lord." Rhonda sat her glass down. Her regeneration prevented her from being able to get drunk. Still, she enjoyed the taste of expensive whiskey. She saw a movement from the corner of her eye and looked toward the door. "Eric, what are you doing out of bed, pet? Be a good little slut and take that pretty little body back to bed. I'll be with you as soon as I finish working." "My name's not Eric." At the Latina's odd tone Rhonda focused her full attention on the sexy woman. Her posture was different and Rhonda's danger sense kicked in. She slowly stood up. Ready for anything but not seeing a threat. "Little slut," Rhonda used the code word CC had imprinted that should force the Senator to do what he was told. "Tell me your name." "My name," the Latina extended a hand and suddenly a powerful force grabbed Rhonda lifting her into the air and pulling her toward the woman. "Is Cindy Snow. I go by Carnifex as well. I used to have another name. A name and a life someone stole." She took several steps into the room her eyes blazing with power. Rhonda tried to move but she was encased in the most powerful energy field she'd ever felt. Then the Latina started to transform and in a few seconds a very naked, extremely sexy, auburn haired goddess moved forward. Every movement was feminine poetry yet her eyes still blazed with white light. "My given name was Scott Fitzgerald Irons. My code name with SMAC was Eros due to my mutant empathic skill and the enjoyment I got from seducing beautiful women. I used to think sex, as a man, was the greatest of all pleasures. I learned that I was wrong. Nothing can compare to what this body feels during sex. Ironic isn't it? I can still seduce a beautiful woman, particularly those who give up there bodies for money, but I prefer men." Scott started floating up toward Rhonda, who was still unable to move until Scott was a foot away, eye to eye, floating three feet above the floor. "Did you enjoy getting fucked by me? What's that on your thigh? Jizz?" Rhonda taunted. "You know, what goes up must come down? Hehehe... You realize that taking my dick in your hot little pussy is the closest you'll ever get to getting it back. But I think you don't really want to own a dick, not when you can ride one." Rhonda tried to reach out with her empathic power. She normally had a connection to anyone she'd recently fucked. For a moment she thought she felt something. She sent as much energy as she dared down that channel projecting lust. Rhonda tried to press forward, as much as she could while trapped inside an energy bubble, seeing what she thought was carnal desire on Scott's cute feminine face. "Did you kill CC?" The question caught Rhonda by surprise. "What if I did? Are you upset that you can't have this body back?" Then Rhonda focused on her power and controlling Scott with lust. "Scott, you have such a nice little pussy and a beautiful body. If you let me out of this energy field, I promise I'll fuck your brains out. What we did earlier was just a taste. I can bring you to heights of pleasure you've never dreamed possible. Think about what the two of us could do, working together? Think about the pleasure, the power, we could own this town." "I don't want that body, or life back. As far as I'm concerned you can keep it until the day you die. This one is much better. I've discovered I love being a woman, well, maybe not the bleeding from my pussy once a month, but other than that, yeah, way better. I was going to leave you alone. Just observe you and use you to get to the Shadow leaders." Suddenly, Scott's voice dropped to a whisper. "That is until I found out you killed CC. That's when I decided to set up this little visit. Oh, and Senator Johnson is in SMAC custody. There are a couple of gifted telepaths who should be able to get whatever we can from him and erase a few of the blocks and compulsions. Of course, he'll go into witness protection. The current Senator Johnson is too big a lead for us to tip our hand." "Do you really think you can take on the Shadow Lords? You're a fool." "Perhaps. But I'm still alive." Scott made a twisting motion and Rhonda's head snapped. "I know you can still hear me. You have an amazing regeneration talent." Scott started making twisting, jerking, and pulling motions. In minutes the floating blob of flesh didn't look human. Turned inside out, separated into ten floating balls of what looked like red jelly. Unconcerned with his nudity Scott caused the window to open and veiled. *** "How did it go?" Cyber looked up as Scott floated into the room. He was now dressed in black jeans, a dark t-shirt, and a black leather jacket along with biker boots. His auburn hair had been tied back and he flashed Cyber a grin. "Well enough. Director Irons has vanished." "Oh, he has strong regeneration. Are you sure he won't pop back up?" Scott settled on the sofa to one side of where Cyber stood, hands extended to either side. At each end of the room there was a rack of electronic equipment. The racks had power, cooling, and a connection to the net. Electricity arched from Cyber to the equipment every once in a while. "Yeah. I killed him. Broke all of his bones. Turned his body inside out. Ripped it into ten separate pieces. Then I flew five miles out to sea and turned north paralleling the coast. Once every mile I scattered the contents of an orb over a half mile arc. Even a level ten regenerator wouldn't survive that. I'd say the sharks are eating well tonight." Cyber gave Scott a quizzical look and then blinked distractedly. "I calculate he has point zero- zero- zero- zero- zero- zero- zero- zero- zero-three seven percent chance of survival. If his remains don't become shark turds. If that happens then there is no chance of survival." "Good enough. Hey, let's grab a bottle of wine. I feel like celebrating." Cyber dropped her arms and the blue swirling light faded from her eyes. "Sure. We've been working almost non-stop for the last week. I could use a break." *** The End *** Note: I just wanted to thank Mr. 20' Biceps for helping me edit and proofread as well as offering plot advice. I'd also like to thank Eric for being one of my beta readers and for his thoughtful suggestions.